Forgive Me
by GhastlyRevenant
Summary: An incident at Kisaragi High unleashes the wrath of a student bound by anger and regret. There may be only one way to stop the madness, but even the key has been locked away.
1. Chapter 1

This is one of the shorter stories, in comparison to the big projects. It's dark, so those who like fluff and cuddliness may not enjoy it.

Ayumi, Satoshi, Shiro Naito, Koga, and woman in the grocery store was played by my friend(Keeroy). Yoshiki and Notsu were played by me(Yuminii). We do not own the characters Ayumi, Satoshi, or Yoshiki.

Also, these will be in shorter installments of around 1k words to 2k.

* * *

Yoshiki sighed, leaning back on a desk as his eyes went towards the window. It was Spring, yet it was already getting dark... He glanced at the clock, seeing it was actually pretty late. Sheesh, since when did doing chores in one classroom take so long? He looked at Ayumi, crossing his arms. "Are we done here yet?" he asked in a mildly tired tone. Ugh, why had Ayumi only asked him to stay anyways? It made this whole process take longer... Well... at least it hadn't started raining, like on the Culture Festival night.

Ayumi was relining a trash can when she heard Yoshiki's question that seemed more like a complaint. She stood up, brushing her skirt out as he glanced at him before looking out the window. Her heart and stomach seemed to be clashing to see which could bother her most. Keeping him here was an abuse of her power as class representative, wasn't it? She did have a plan, but she found herself lacking the courage to go through with it. She was never good at this stuff... Urgh, looks like she'd fail again. And worse, her nervousness had caused her to move at a snail's pace with the chores. It was already getting dark, and she had nothing to show for it. "Just about. We have to wipe down the blackboards, and we're done," she answered as she moved to the teacher's desk to open the drawer with the squirt bottle and rag. Her time was running out...

Yoshiki was a bit disappointed that there was still something that needed to be done, but at least it was just one more. One more, and they'd be done, and heading home. Normally, he liked time alone with Ayumi, but... Staying in school after everyone else had already left was making him antsy. "Good... Then we can get the hell outta here...," he said with a small huff, pushing off the desk and moving over towards her and the black board.

"Yeah," Ayumi agreed, although she wasn't looking forward to wrapping up. She had told herself she was going to do it when they finished the chores. After all, if things went badly, they both could retreat. Although, so many of her friends had assured her it would go smoothly. That he felt the same. Her heart was beating uncomfortably fast as the blackboard was wiped down, taking off all the chalk residue that hung on it. The nervous excitement was too much for her, as they put the cleaning supplies away. Oh god, she had to do it now. Speaking became much more difficult as the question burned on the tip of her tongue. "Uh, hey, Kishinuma," she piped up as she shut the teacher's drawer. The chores were done... She told herself she'd do this today. Her face felt like it was on fire, which didn't help her nervousness. "I was wondering-"

"Class Rep? Kishinuma? It's a bit late for you two to be hanging around. The other classes finished cleaning at least an hour ago," a male voice interrupted Ayumi. Ayumi's mind came to a screeching halt as she tried to regain her composure. She turned to look at the teacher, who went by Mr. Naito. He has taught grammar for about three years now, and Ayumi couldn't say she really liked him. Although, she couldn't say that for most the teachers. Ms. Yui was the only one she liked talking to...

"Ah, sorry, Mr. Naito. We were just finishing up," Ayumi apologized with a polite smile.

Yoshiki looked at her when his name was spoken. The atmosphere felt kind of... tense, but in a weird way. He could sort of tell this would be important, but... what exactly did she have to tell him? Him _specifically_? He watched her closely, noticing her face grow a bit reddened. No way... Was this-?

He jumped slightly at Mr. Naito's interruption, though he regained composure quickly. It was a habit to not show weakness to adults, especially teachers. "Yeah, we were pretty much done," he added on to Ayumi's statement with a small shrug. He really wanted to know what Ayumi had wanted to say now... But she probably wouldn't pick back up on the topic, at least until Mr. Naito left them alone.

Ayumi really wanted Mr. Naito to go away, so she could finish her question. She didn't want this question hanging on her head, after she's been thinking about it for weeks! She watched the teacher glance over the two, almost thoughtfully. Did he think they were up to something...? He was making her a little uncomfortable.

"Actually, this works out nicely. I have a bunch of booklets I have to bring up for tomorrow's lesson, and it would be a lot quicker if you two helped me," he said, in a way that hardly considered the fact it was late, and they may have somewhere to be. He paused for a moment and offered a half-smile. He wasn't even going to ask if they were willing to help? Ayumi was almost tempted to make up an excuse to get them out of there, but her position made it hard for her to turn down a teacher's request. Although, it seemed to be phrased as more of a demand.

"Alright... Where are they?" Ayumi asked after a small hesitant pause.

"In the old computer lab in the basement," Mr. Naito explained with a fuller smile this time. Ayumi already regretted agreeing to this. She couldn't stand this guy.

Yoshiki held back the urge to glare, a bit ticked that he basically _told_ them to help him, rather than ask. This guy was always like that... He couldn't hardly stand him. Though... this entire thing felt off. It was so late... Why hadn't he asked some of the other students to help earlier in the day? There was definitely a strangeness in the air, but he was probably just being overly cynical. They just had to help him... and they'd be on their way home. Simple as that.

The walk down to the basement was making Ayumi feel extremely unnerved. Mr. Naito's heavy steps behind them seemed oddly threatening. She mentally scolded herself, figuring she may have just watched too many scary movies. There was also something naturally nerve-wracking about being in school after dark, so she guessed that had to be it. Mr. Naito unlocked the computer lab door, opening it and stepping aside to let the students in first.

Ayumi glanced around the room, brow furrowing. There were no booklets or anything of the like. She turned to ask Mr. Naito what was going on when her blood turned cold. He had what looked to be an stray pipe. That didn't concern her as much as the action he committed with it. There was an awful sound of metal hitting bone as the teacher hit Yoshiki with such force that his body went limp.

Ayumi screamed, the noise coming from the bottom of her lungs. She couldn't even begin to think about what was happening, she could only react. Mr. Naito turned towards her, stepping over Yoshiki's passed out body. She moved to stumble back, but his strides were long, and he managed to catch her by the front of her shirt. His hands then moved up, grasping around her throat. She tried to make a noise, but air was completely cut off from her lungs. Her hands weakly clawed at him in an attempt to get him off, but it wasn't working. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs were burning. She eventually couldn't even move her hands, and the darkness enveloped her.

Shiro laughed lightly to himself as he dropped the young girl's body. His blood was rushing excitably as his opportunity was so easily handed to him. He had to be quick. They'd wake up before he knew it. He hauled Ayumi's body over her shoulder, since she wasn't too bad to carry. He grabbed the back of Yoshiki's shirt and pulled him along as he went to go deeper into the basement. Back where the water pump and heating equipment were. He found a thick pipe and some stray rope to tie them to it. Little noises of ecstasy kept escaping him. They'd wake up from their states soon enough. Oh, this would be fun...


	2. Chapter 2

Yoshiki wasn't very sure what had taken place... In fact, as he stirred, he couldn't really remember where he was, or what time it was. His eyes opened slowly, taking in the dark and dank surroundings. He still couldn't really find his bearings, and his head hurt like hell... He tried to lift his hand to his aching head, but soon discovered both hands were restrained. Panic struck him in one instant, as his mind jumped back to life, recovering slightly from the heavy blow it was dealt. His head lifted to get a better looks around, and he took notice of two things. One, Mr. Naito was there, and it certainly wasn't a good thing. He wasn't there to help... He was the one causing this. The other... was that Ayumi was here too, in the same predicament that he was in. He grew more fearful as it registered that not just him, but they were both in this dangerous situation. He aimed a glare at the teacher, jerking forward to fight against his restraints, even if the rope was rubbing his skin raw. "You fucking BASTARD! LET US GO, DAMMIT!" he shouted as he pulled, centering a glare on the man with intense malice. This couldn't happen... especially to Ayumi. He wanted desperately to save her somehow, but the rope showed no signs of giving.

Ayumi stirred at Yoshiki's yelling, something triggering in her brain to snap her back into awareness. She tried to move, the memory of Mr. Naito's hands strangling her still vivid in her mind. She took a sharp, scared breath as her hands were unable to move. Tears quickly surfaced as the weight of this entire situation barreled down on her.

Shiro laughed lightly at Yoshiki's yell. He'll put up a fight, won't he? How fun. Really, this was just... too good. "Hehehehe, not after I've waited all this time," he said with a transfixed grin. Every day, he pictured doing this. Every time a student talked back, he'd think about cutting their flimsy skin into ribbons. Every night, he'd walk the hallways with the idea in his mind. It was so rare when students hung around late, and when they did, they were normally in huge flocks. He'd go home, accepting that that night wasn't the. He's been so patient, but now the night was finally here. Such easy targets... The chase wasn't so much fun. He'd make sure the game was, though. "I only wonder: Who I should deal with first?" he asked as the small light hanging overhead hit the blade in his hand as he pulled it up to his face to inspect it. His finger slowly trailed over the sleek metal, ending at the tip. He'd hidden this beauty away into the basement cracks a month after he was hired to teach this hellhole. It was nice to see it was as sharp as ever.

Yoshiki quickly gathered that simply asking wasn't going to help anything. He slumped back, panting slightly from his actions and his panic. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the knife, his stomach dropping. He glanced at Ayumi for a small moment, trying to think of something... anything that could at least help her out of this situation. Nothing though... He couldn't think of a single idea! Being helpless just made him frustrated, which made him more irrational. "Don't you dare touch Shinozaki... I... I'll fucking kill you," he said with a dark tone, his eyes narrowed sharply. His chest heaved, his anger mixed with fear making his body tense and heart fast.

Shiro cackled lightly under his breath as he moved closer to Ayumi, given Yoshiki's threat. The fact the kid was trying to act like he had some power of the situation made him want to crush that perception. "Tsubota always said you'd crack someday. I never really believed him until now," Shiro admitted with an amused glance at the angry delinquent. The way Yoshiki spoke, and the little control he had over his emotions, made Shiro almost sure the student wasn't bluffing. Good thing the knots were good and tight. "Either way, as willing as you may soon become to the action of killing me, you won't be able to," he noted with a wistful smirk. Ayumi was trembling in front of him. What a weak girl. His hand grabbed her chin, making it impossible for her to move her head. His other hand brought the knife up to her face.

"STOP!" Ayumi screamed, pure fear coursing through her veins as the metal was drawn close to her. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to know what a knife would feel like plunged into her.

"Class Rep, you should have more manners than that," Shiro noted with as he 'tsk'ed his tongue. He pushed the knife into her cheek, drawing a deep gash across it. The blood pooled out of her skin, giving the knife a thin blood coating.

Yoshiki's eyes widened as he stepped closer to Ayumi. Of course it'd be expected that his threat held little water with the man... After all, he was tightly restrained, without any means of fighting back. His heart lurched at Ayumi's plea, and seeing the knife draw her blood. "NO! LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!" he screamed, resuming his thrashing against the ropes tied around his wrists. The rough material rubbed and scratched, to where the pain was impossible to ignore, but it didn't stop his pulling. He didn't even hardly register small drops of blood running down his hand, and staining the rope.

Shiro watched Yoshiki react to the blood, amused and surprised by his reaction. Honestly, he expected them to plea for their own lives, but he seemed more interested in her safety. Ha, how lucky was he to get a duo like this. "What, you would rather die first?" he asked with genuine curiosity. He released Ayumi's head from his grasp, though he didn't move from being crouched next to her. He could hear her heavy, uneven breathing that seemed to make it difficult for her to say much. Her fear vibrated through her bones and reflected in her eyes.

Ayumi's throat hurt from being choked earlier. Her ragged breaths didn't help as she tried to choke back sobs. This couldn't be happening! They can't die! She twisted her hands against the rope, desperate for them to give way. They needed to get out... It can't end this way.

Yoshiki paused in his rant as he was addressed. Well... not first... If he was in the position to make a deal, he'd rather be the _only_. He settled back, his eyes narrowed at Mr. Naito as his chest felt tight with anger. "I... would rather you let her go," he responded, his voice level, though at the same time filled with contempt.

Shiro gave a hearty laugh at the boy's suggestion. "Goddamn, you are stupid," he noted with a jeer. Now that they were in this situation, they both had to die. His chance go being found out was sort of high... but he has some extra cash and a passport waiting at home. He planned this... It was just the matter of timing. Now that things were playing in his favor, he wasn't going to give the cops a head-start by letting the little girl go. "Really, it just makes me want to kill her that much quicker when you spew dumb shit like that," he noted as he held the blade up to her neck.

A wail escaped Ayumi as the metal against her her neck. The cold metal against her skin, and what it meant, set her body into high alert.

"How about I give you an opportunity to slow this down, Kishinuma?" Shiro asked as he loosely held the blade to her neck. "Hmm, a simple question: What's the difference between a transitive verb and an intransitive verb?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ayumi froze at the question. Her heart stopped as she wondered if her throat would be sliced in a moment. Oh god, she wasn't ready for this. She has never done anything besides school. She had done so little with her life!

Yoshiki tensed, fear coursing through every inch of his body. His eyes watched, slightly widened, as Shiro placed the blade against Ayumi's neck. He couldn't really register that raging wouldn't solve anything. He could only think with fury and panic over Ayumi's life, and that led to his mind being clouded and jumbled up. His eyes came back to Shiro as he spoke, his heart racing with panic. This asshole... Preying on his prior record of being a slacker, or just generally _stupid_. _Come on, come on... This was a little bit ago... Shinozaki even helped me..._ His mind was racing as he was desperately grasping for the memory, trying to pull Ayumi's words from the past. "Th...that's...," he stuttered, glancing away for a small moment as the weight of all this pressed down on his mind. "... the... object... Direct object... Intransitive doesn't need one," he finally answered with his chest heaving slightly. His head was down and eyes were squeezed shut, as the horror that he was wrong was overbearing. He hated even playing this game with this bastard, but his fear for Ayumi trumped his pride, even though deep down, he knew this wouldn't save her. He just didn't want to face the fact that they were both going to die, with no way out. Answering this piece of shit... was his way of being in denial. That maybe buying time would amount to something.

Ayumi's body was tense as she waited for Yoshiki's answer. Her heart was pounding in her ears, deafening her. At his answer, she relaxed slightly that he had gotten it. It would have been easy to mix up too... Although, it may just be postponing the inevitable. She still had hope that someone would find them... the night janitor or some stray teacher who stayed late. The blade was taken away from her neck, and she let out a shaky sigh of relief.

"Huh, look who isn't a complete moron," Shiro said with an amused glint in his eyes. He stood up, moving over to where the pipe he had previously knocked Yoshiki out was. He picked it up, putting away the knife into a holster that hung off his pants. "Okay, next question. In scholarly writing, when should the abbreviation 'sic' be used?" he asked with a crooked grin. He'd be surprised if the dimwit knew something that would only be approached in advanced papers.

Yoshiki couldn't help but feel a flood of relief when it was revealed he was right. Though, the victory was short-lived. He looked up again, his eyes widening at the new question. Wh... huh? Had they... even gone over such a thing? His face paled slightly as his mind drew a complete blank. His eyes went slowly to the pipe, the pain of the hit earlier coming back at the memory. Was this... it? He couldn't save Ayumi... He could only watch as this whole thing unraveled... He hated this... Being powerless, stuck to just watching this sick bastard kill the person most important to him... He couldn't utter the words 'I don't know'. He just stared in horror, his heart beating painfully fast.

The silence was thick, and Ayumi could only squeeze her eyes shut as her fate seemed seal. She wouldn't blame Yoshiki, since it was obvious Mr. Naito would have just kept asking harder questions until he got it wrong. It was a game to give Yoshiki the illusion of control.

Shiro smirked as the silence hung, and his grip on the pipe tightened. He could see the horror in the boy's eyes, and it gave him such a thrilling rush. He couldn't wait to see how quickly that changed to anger. He didn't bother saying anything about his time running out. It was obvious he would never know such a thing. He brought the pipe up, seeing the Class Rep with her eyes squeezed shut. He'd rather see the look fade from her eyes, but honestly, it was Yoshiki he was playing with at this point. He was far more interesting than she was. He brought the pipe down with much more force than he had when he attacked Yoshiki. The impact was loud and echoed in the dank basement's walls. He had struck hard enough that her body convulsed for a moment before becoming deadly still. He laughed gleefully as he looked at the end of the pipe that had her blood coating it. The head injury was bleeding fast, dripping down her face. Her body was limp. He finally did it. The adrenaline in his veins was addicting. He wanted to kill again.


	3. Chapter 3

Yoshiki's blood rushed with fear-fueled adrenaline as Shiro rose the pipe. He wanted to shout for him to stop or something, but nothing came from his tight throat. He flinched at the sick crack that came from the hit, his head turning instinctively, so he didn't have to see it. Though, he found that his eyes were drawn back, his heart selfishly wishing the hit hadn't killed her. But, at the sight of her still body, a wave of despair and nausea hit him hard. Tremors went through his body, and at first, he was dead silent. His eyes eventually moved from the blood that dripped onto the floor to Ayumi's face. He could only barely see her, and though it made him drop further into despair, he couldn't tear his eyes away. "A... Ayu... mi?" he muttered, as if checking if she was really... dead. With no response, he just sat quietly, though his overwhelming sadness was quickly filtering into fury.

Shiro chuckled darkly as he crouched to examine Ayumi. "Not much of a survivor, is she? I thought it would at least take two hits," he observed as he pushed her chin up. She was still, her body not even moving to take in breaths. He dropped her head, her limpness allowing it to dangle. The rope tied behind her back was the only thing keeping her up. Shiro was thrilled with all of this. He turned to Yoshiki, seeing the absolute rage in his expression. Such an emotionally-driven child. He dropped the pipe to the side, the metal clanking loudly against the cement floor and pulled out the sleek knife once again. "Too bad you couldn't answer a simple question," he commented with a smirk as he moved to stand over Yoshiki's body.

Yoshiki's eyes were still focused on Ayumi. His chest tightened and a fire grew large as Shiro touched Ayumi again, then let her head drop. At the sound of the clanking pipe, he was brought out of his daze, his eyes quickly narrowing and following Shiro. He panted quietly, the anger making his brain fuzzy. It almost felt like he was on the edge of literally breaking into pieces. He didn't fall prey to blaming himself over getting the question wrong. He would've killed Ayumi anyways... But... he had been helpless to this bastard's whims. That alone made him fill with the wish that he could have done _something_. Hopelessness and rage mixed together in a hectic storm, making it feel as if his brain was tuning out, falling pray to his emotions. "I'm... I'm going to KILL you," he said with a shaky voice, though it wasn't fear that changed his tone. Shadows covered his face, though his glaring eyes could still be seen looking up at Shiro with intense hatred.

Shiro looked down at Yoshiki, blinking slowly as he absorbed the threat and took in his appearance. He didn't doubt the sincerity in Yoshiki's claim. He knelt down to meet Yoshiki's glaring eyes that manifested the malicious intent burning in him. Shiro pointed the knife at Yoshiki, a small chuckle rumbled from the back of his throat. "Are you now? And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?" he taunted lightly. Yoshiki was tied tight. He would fall, just as his little friend had.

Yoshiki fell silent, except for his panting breath. His heart felt like it was in overdrive... but he couldn't tell if it was from fear or anger. He... didn't know how. He just knew he would. He still didn't answer though, his eyes meeting Shiro's to attempt to convey how much he really meant it. He'd do it somehow... At this point, it didn't matter how. He WOULD kill him. He would see to it that every last drop of blood was drained from this pathetic excuse for a teacher.

Shiro shook his head at Yoshiki. The kid was dumb, there was no doubt about that. He claimed he'd do what wasn't possible of doing, and then fell flat when a plan was involved. He sighed as he realized he may be dragging this out too long. The night janitor may very well come around, and he'd best be on his way at that point. "I'm sorry to say you won't be getting the chance," Shiro noted as he brought the blade to Yoshiki's lower abdomen. Not a spot that would kill him in seconds. No, he wanted to watch the life drain out of this one. Especially after his determined declaration that he would murder him. Shiro aimed the knife and pushed forward. He allowed himself to inflict the wound slowly as he watched with a sadistic grin.

Yoshiki narrowed his eyes at him, not even removing his focus when the knife was placed on the area it was set to plunge into. His stomach churned at the feeling of the tip, but his expression was unwavering. Of course, as it was pushed in, it was difficult to stay strong. He gave loud shouts of pain, but somewhere along the slow stabbing, his eyes opened halfway to cast a glance at Ayumi's limp body. He heard the violent pang of steel pipe against bone in his head, and it blew his anger over the top. He screamed with fury, his leg moving in a powerful kick at Shiro.

Along the stabbing, Shiro was becoming sure Yoshiki was giving up on the idea of killing him. The boy seemed more preoccupied with not showing the pain he had to be going through. The blood seeping around the blade and Yoshiki's shirts caught his attention as he pushed deeper. His thought derailed abruptly at the yell, the kick hitting him square in the gut. He was knocked back, gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of him. His hand had abandoned the blade to hold the spot that was kicked. "Fuck!" he hissed as he tried to regain his composure.

Yoshiki reacted fast as the kick hit with great success, working through the intense burning pain in his side. He slid down so his foot could reach farther, and caught the knife Shiro dropped under his foot. He slid it towards him, far enough to where it hit the pipe he was attached to with a light clang. His hands struggled down, the rope running his skin more ragged, but with his adrenaline, he hardly noticed. He worked the rope a little more down the pipe so his hand could grab the knife, and position it so he could cut through the rope. Once the hand with the knife was free, he pulled it out, cutting his other wrist free much quicker.

He forced himself upward, so this chance wouldn't be wasted. Shiro had also finally recovered, but Yoshiki wouldn't let him gain the upper hand. He tackled into him, shoving him to the ground again. He sat atop him, his eyes crazed with rage and his hand with the knife raised. He screamed with anger, stabbing the knife into his chest. Though, since his mind was fogged, his body was running on his anger. So the stabbings continued. Two... Six... Fifteen... The numbers kept rising, and the longer it went on, the less human-like Shiro looked in the face.

Shiro didn't even get much time to recover from the kick before he was back on the ground. His brain stuttered in confusion on how the hell Yoshiki could have escaped his well-crafted ties, but the knife in his chest quickly answered his question. The pain was blinding, but the humiliation of being out-crafted by this dimwitted delinquent burned in the back of his skull more so. He wasn't supposed to be the one to win this. He had planned it all so well. The pain numbed his brain, and his yells that exploded from him felt detached from himself. So much pain. He wasn't sure how long or how many times he was stabbed before everything stopped.

Eventually, the strikes slowed, until Yoshiki just paused with the knife buried into Mr. Naito's neck. He panted, his hands sliding off the handle and his body plagued by small tremors. When his mind finally came to, he saw the mangled body beneath him. His reaction lagged slightly, letting a moment pass before he pushed himself away from the body with a small gasp. He pulled his eyes away from the body, to get a look at himself. Blood... He was absolutely covered in blood. He couldn't even tell his own from the teacher's. He suddenly felt sick, his body quivering slightly as the brutal truth surfaced. He hadn't just killed Shiro... He had _mutilated_ him. His eyes hesitantly traveled over to Ayumi. He had the strong desire to hold her, so he could be close in these last, quickly fading moments, but... Ayumi hated violence... and he had just _killed_ someone. He was caked in someone else's blood.

He suddenly felt a strong wave of guilt, disappointed that he had done something that Ayumi would hate him for. He had done something awful... His breaths worsened, which wasn't helping his already stressed heart. The basement was quickly growing darker, and Yoshiki could no longer hold himself up. He fell on his side, partly in the blood that pooled on the floor. He choked a gasped, his arms wrapped around his pained side. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." His voice slowly faded, and he felt like the weight on him was no lighter after the killing, or the rapid apologies. All he had wanted to do was protect her... but now he had done something horrid... _Protect... I just wanted... to..._ His breaths softened until they could barely be heard, and his vision blacked out. After another moment, his body completely slumped, his hand falling against the puddle of blood with a resounding splat.

* * *

A little later, an old janitor made his way down into the basement. He never liked this place, but he needed to check on some of the stuff in the back. He stumbled through the darkness of the back room, but paused as a step produced a sort of watery noise. "Ugh, great... Probably a leaky pipe...," he sighed with an aged, shaky voice. His hand went to the wall, finding the switch and flicking it. What he was met with was not a leaky pipe. He screamed with shock, almost falling backwards. He moved his foot from the blood he had stepped in, beginning to panic slightly. He got on his walky-talky, quickly alerting the principal of the disaster.

The paramedics were over quickly, followed by the police. They could easily say that Naito Shiro was dead. It was predicted that any one of the stabs could have been the final blow, as each was quite fatal. Kishinuma Yoshiki was dead as well, having bled out of a serious injury to his abdomen. Two medics approached Ayumi, checking her pulse, and surprised to find a survivor. It... was a miracle. "Alive! She's alive!" the paramedics called, and soon, they were working to get her untied and into the ambulance. It was a nasty blow to her head, but within a few weeks, she'd be fine. Many were relieved, but the small victory was nothing in comparison to the horrors that had taken place... But, it could have been worse. _One survived._


	4. Chapter 4

Ayumi hadn't intended to take three weeks off from school. She didn't remember the night she had apparently fallen down the school's stairs, hitting her head. It was bad enough that she was hospitalized for quite a while. She had so many tests done on her in those weeks, which she found a little odd, but she guessed she was ultimately glad to be cleared okay to go to school. She didn't feel like her brain had been damaged at all. If anything, it had just been a stupid mistake. On the bright side, she had stayed on top of homework and classwork, considering there hadn't been much to do in the hospital. She was glad to be back, altogether. The entire hospital stay had felt like an overreaction, but she figured that was just her parents. They were still concerned she shouldn't be going to school, but Ayumi was desperate to get back. She missed seeing all her friends.

It felt a little weird returning after the hiatus. Like she was a new student, even if she knew everyone already. There were a couple more glances towards her in the hallway, and everyone kept talking to her. Telling her how glad they were she was alright, and they were happy to have her back. The entire return was greeted with warmth, even if it did feel somewhat unnecessary. She was just glad to be back to her normal life.

It felt like months had passed since the event, but maybe time just seemed slower now... He spent all day just laying there, blank eyes staring into the darkness of the basement. The blood had been cleaned, but his eyes could still see it, everywhere. All that blood... He had caused it, not Shiro. It was strange, though... His clothes were spotless, but he was certain he had been drenched at the end... The 'cleansing' did nothing to ease his guilt, though.

There Yoshiki laid, for two weeks, without any janitors or staff noticing him there. Sometimes a few would notice a small chill wafting through the back room, but they wouldn't think to chalk it up to a ghost. He spent his slow days thinking, and enduring the pain in his side and wrists silently. But then, through the guilt of murdering someone, he recalled that... Ayumi was still alive. His hand twitched, and his eyes lifted slowly to a dim light in the distance. Ayumi... she was okay... But what if something else happened to her? He had to... had to protect her...

His ghostly form lifted to his hands and knees, moving in this new state was a little straining, but his willpower got him through it. He finally got to stand, and worked his way towards the stairs. He slipped through the locked basement door, absorbing the familiar sight of the school halls. Protect... Ayumi... He'd get a new chance to do just that...

Another week passed before Yoshiki caught sight of Ayumi again. She was back in school... and she looked completely normal. Good... She didn't look tainted by the event... When class started, he sat as his normal desk. No new student had come in, so it was still open. No one paid him any attention, and he didn't look at anyone else, but Ayumi. His dull eyes centered on her, and he began to wonder if she'd be able to see him... He was conflicted, because he _did_ want her to see him, but at the same time he was too ashamed to face her... While he sat, he pushed his sleeves down and kept them there, covering the gashes around his wrists.

Ayumi was settled down at her desk, class settling down to begin the actual lesson. She was a bit exhausted already with all the greetings and thankings she had to give out to students that were concerned about her. It was sweet, but she would be happy to go on like she hadn't missed school. At least her closer friends seemed to be treating her normally... Well, Satoshi had seemed off since she had gotten in the hospital. Apparently something happened with his home life or something... No one was telling her much, and she wasn't one to pry. She blinked slowly as she felt the weight of a gaze on her. She didn't want to look paranoid... She moved her head slightly, using peripheral vision to try and figure out what was causing the weird feeling to surface in her. Her eyes widened slightly at... a new student? He certainly wasn't someone she had seen before. She'd would have recognized the bleached hair... His staring was making her uncomfortable, but she had to guess he thought of her as a new student? The entire thing was making her unnerved. She turned back to the board as the lesson seemed to be gearing up. She was surprised no one had mentioned someone new coming into the class...

Yoshiki's eyes widened ever so slightly, as he could have sworn he saw her head turn. Had she... noticed him? He was both filled with hope and dread, the two emotions colliding violently within. Though, despite the turmoil, he just remained quiet, sinking back into the chair and keeping his eyes on Ayumi.

Ayumi's curiosity over the new student was ever increasing. It quickly became mixed with annoyance and the weight of his eyes never seemed to falter. Why wasn't the teacher calling him out for blatantly ignoring the lesson? She tried her best to focus, but she felt herself losing that battle. At lunch, she excused herself to try and figure out what this weird guys deal was. She couldn't have someone staring at her all day... It didn't even feel complimentary. It felt unsettling. "Excuse me, I don't believe we've met, I'm Shinozaki Ayumi," Ayumi said as she approached him. She'd start off with basic courtesies, but she was also planning to tell him to stop staring at her.

Yoshiki had decided to loiter around at lunch, but always sticking close to where Ayumi was. He was also taking this time to decide how to feel about the possibility that... she could see him. He didn't have the time to make that choice, as Ayumi came up directly to him. He felt anxiety bubble up, but his heart didn't quicken. It was the first time he really took notice of the strangeness about having a still heart. Though, the anxiety went away as he thought. If she hated him for what he did... why would she come up to him? His eyes widened a little at her introduction, letting him know she assumed him to be some sort of new student. He blinked quietly for a moment, absorbing what that meant. She didn't know anything about that night, a month ago... or about him at all, it seemed. Was that... better? It was good she didn't know, right? His expression returned to somewhat blank, deciding to play along with her illusion. So she also didn't just see him, but he looked completely normal, as far as opacity was considered. "...Yamagata Setsuko," he answered hesitantly, after deciding he would give a fake name. He wanted to remain a secret... so he could hide her from the truth.

Ayumi had definitely never heard of that name... Had he just transferred in or did he classroom jump? It had been three weeks of absence, so she guessed it wasn't too odd for the class roster to shift. She was just surprised no one mentioned it to her... "Ah, well, Yamagata, it's nice to meet you," she said with a polite smile. This guy was... weird. Besides the staring, there was a vibe she was getting that was making her feel incredibly off. "And I hope I don't sound rude saying this, but you really should be focusing on the lecture and not me," she added as leveled as she could manage. If he was... er... attracted to her, staring at her wasn't exactly a decent way to court her.

Yoshiki nodded slightly at her courtesy, but her next sentence, in terms of obeying, went through one ear and out the other. He blinked quietly, before replying. "Lectures... don't really matter to me anymore," he told her stiffly, dark eyes resting squarely on her's. It wasn't really a lie. He was dead... No one paid attention to him, so why should he pay attention to anyone else? Ayumi was all that mattered...

Ayumi shifted uncomfortably under his stare. Being met with disrespect like that would normally set a fire in her stomach, but her blood was running cold. There was something off about this kid. "Well, then, please stop staring at me, it's weird," she replied with annoyance. Her politeness was much harder to keep up after the stiff, rude reply. If lecturing wasn't going to work, she would go straight to the issue at hand.

Yoshiki didn't shift at her reply. The annoyance in her tone, that his gaze was unwanted, didn't really register with his mind. "But I have to...," he muttered, his eyes growing darker and more out of focus, "To protect you..." He didn't really think about what he was saying. At a point like this, his spirit was just droning out the thoughts running through his head.

Ayumi's expression darkened at his odd droning, her stomach dropping at the very unexpected comment. It wasn't cute or funny. Her hands clenched into fists as her eyes narrowed at the strange boy. She didn't like him, or what he was saying or doing at all. "I don't need it," she snapped at him. Her eyes flickered away from him but caught the sight of red. It was cut skin around his wrist, it looked like. It was only exposed a little and the shadow of his jacket made it hard. What the hell was going on with this kid? He seemed like he needed a lot of help.

Yoshiki just lightly shook his head, his normal obedience towards Ayumi gone with the idea that she needed protection. He couldn't let anything happen to her... It was a miracle she was alive now. He couldn't let anything, or anyone, touch her... "You do," he challenged, unwavering in his dying wish.

Ayumi wasn't sure how to respond to all this. If he was hurting himself, she couldn't just walk away, could she? She didn't feel capable of talking to this kid in a way that wouldn't escalate. She'd just back down, talk to her friends or a teacher and see what his deal was... She examined him for a moment with a strange look. "...Just stop," she said forcefully, unsure of what else she could possibly do. He was making her too nervous, and he was just getting weirder. She didn't even know him! She shot him a look before turning heel and making her way back to her friends with a sour expression.

Yoshiki watched her leave, quietly. He paused, then responded, as if she had never left. "No... I won't let anything hurt you anymore...," he muttered, still looking blankly at the place she had been standing. It was the only way to make up for failing her...

Ayumi took a moment to recollect herself. The exchange put her in such an apprehensive state that she wasn't sure how to process it. She glanced at Setsuko's seat with a furrowed brow.

"You okay, Shinozaki?" Satoshi asked, his eyes darting between her and the spot she was staring at. It took a lot of effort to come off casually with the question, when she was staring at Yoshiki's old seat. Did she have some memories come back? Or was it just a feeling? Urgh, he still hated this entire thing. It felt wrong keeping Ayumi in the dark and letting the memory of Yoshiki be pushed to the side. He knew why they were doing it, and why her parents had specifically talked to the group of friends, but he hated it. At first he had full-out disagreed with going along with it, but Naomi and the others talked him down. For Ayumi to remember... who knows what that would do to her.

"The guy who sits there..." she began to say as she looked at Satoshi, but a look crossed his face that made her question halt.

"That's-" he began to say with a pained expression. Did she remember? Please, let the memories come back so he didn't have to play this stupid goddamn game. It was so wrong. Yoshiki deserved to be remembered... Even if it was only Ayumi forgetting him, the entire group had to act as if he didn't exist. As if he wasn't murdered in the basement of this very school.

"What are you talking about, Shinozaki?" Seiko suddenly interjected with an overly bright smile. She knew how hard this was on Satoshi, but he couldn't say anything. If her memories came back naturally, that'd be good in some respects... But for now, all they could do was follow her parent's wishes and keep her protected. "No one's had that seat all year."

Ayumi froze, eyes narrowing in confusion at the odd way Satoshi was reacting. "But... I saw someone sitting in that seat earlier..." she tried to explain, although the questioning expressions she was met with made her wish she kept her mouth shut.

"No one sits there," Satoshi said with a frown as his eyes fell onto the seat. '_Anymore._'

"Ah... must have just... been confused then," Ayumi said as she tried to swish the conversation away. That wasn't right. She knew what she saw. But, everyone was insisting she was wrong, so she had to settle down. She would figure this out soon enough...


	5. Chapter 5

A small note... My friend and I are waiting for Tortured Souls to be subbed before watching it. So please be considerate, and don't review with spoilers. Not just us, but other readers may have not seen it either, and carelessly typing up spoilers is unfair to those people. Keep all talk of TS out of your review, please and thank you~

* * *

Setsuko kept to his word and continued to stare at Ayumi for the rest of the day. It was maddening and terrifying, because she didn't understand what was going on. No one noticed him, or interacted with him. She could see him clearly, though, so why was everyone else ignoring him? Ayumi watched as the bell rang for the day and students filed out quickly. She approached Ms. Yui and asked if she could actually take care of delivering the class rosters to the office. After briefly talking to the person who was actually scheduled for that task, it was given it her. She glanced around, and the kid didn't seem to be around. She still felt a weight in her chest that made her want to hide away. Collecting all the rosters didn't take too long, since Kisaragi wasn't a large school. Her head was buzzing as she entered the office. The one woman there was on the phone and seemed very distracted. She smiled at Ayumi, giving a small wave as she held up a key. Ayumi had done this before, so she went up and took the key before opening the room where the record keeping was done. She put the roster next to the computer, where the woman would plug in the information. She glanced through the frame of the door to see the woman still in deep conversation, so she quickly moved to the computer. "Class 2-9..." she muttered, clicking on the class as the list of enrolled students came up. No Yamagata Setsuko... She clicked back, figuring he may have strayed from another class. But... the teachers throughout the day would have noticed. Her own excuses for him were easily shot down as each thought popped up. She clicked out to the school roster and scrolled down the the 'Y' section... No Setsuko. She heard the woman finishing up, and so Ayumi took her leave. She rushed out of the office, desperate to get out of the school. Her brain was reeling as it tried to connect dots. _'Who the hell are you?'_ she thought as she hurried to get out.

Yoshiki stayed near to where Ayumi went, though he was careful to stay a little bit behind. It was late, which made him nervous to leave her alone. Once she went in the office, he stayed near the main exit of the school, watching. If anyone tried to take her... he'd definitely put an end to it... He was relieved slightly when she came out unscathed, though his expression didn't change. His dull eyes followed her, but he made no movement to talk to her or engage her in anyway. He just... watched... He was a little disheartened that school was the only place he could protect her at. He had tried multiple times in the last week to leave school grounds, but it seemed his body was stuck here. For now...

* * *

Ayumi headed into school much earlier than any normal student would. The doors would be unlocked for the swim club that met early morning, so she would take advantage of that. Although, this entire idea was something she wholly didn't want to go through with. The idea of his dull gray eyes settled on her for another day made her want to crawl into a hole and die. She was... beginning to get a suspicion, but she found it so hard to believe that her mind could hardly go down that trail. She walked through the empty floors of Kisaragi Academy, wondering if she would even see the guy who claimed his name was Setsuko.

Yoshiki sat in the classroom for the majority of the night. He didn't want to return to the basement... Anytime he went there, his vision was filled with red, and he felt even more out of control than normal. Though as sunlight started to filter through the windows, his eyes tore away from the board up front. _Ayumi... Ayumi should be coming..._ His mind repeated that same thought over and over. He made his way to the entrance, standing there in a position that he could see students coming in at the gate. His eyes caught onto Ayumi right away, but he doubted she saw him just as soon.

Ayumi felt a chill running down her spine as she made her way through the school. It had a sad vibe when the students weren't around to fill the space. She stopped walking, feeling a familiar, yet unpleasant, stare. She turned around, her body flinching in fright as he came into view. What a creep! Did he have nothing better to do than hang around the halls and stare at her? He claimed he had to protect her, but she had no clue where he would have obtained such a hair-brained idea. She had never even met him before. "What the hell is your deal?! I know you aren't a student!" she snapped at him. Her eyes narrowed at him, and her hands clutched against her chest. She really didn't like him or the feelings he stirred in her.

Yoshiki's eyes followed Ayumi as she came in, and eventually made her way to him. As usual, it took a small stretch of silence before he answered her. "I never claimed to be," he told her, as if he had nothing to hide or explain. He technically wasn't anymore... He had no such material title as 'student'. Though... honestly, he wished he still could be.

Ayumi's frustration coiled around her stomach at the silence followed by more cryptic statements. She had no idea what to start asking him, between the lack of interaction and protective claim over her, it was all overwhelming. She had a feeling what he would answer would hardly help, but she wasn't going to let that or the fear thrumming in her ears stop her. "Who are you? I want the truth," she said firmly as she tried to stand her ground. She wouldn't figure this out if she didn't push herself.

Yoshiki was uncertain if he should bend to Ayumi's will, or if he should just stick to the fake name. He didn't want her... reliving that nightmare... Hearing his name would undo a piece of the wall her mind had built, wouldn't it?... But, she was asking him for the truth. She wanted to know, so... why should he hide it? He still wanted her to remain clueless, but the fake name may not work as well as he had hoped... His pause was longer than normal because of the conflicting thoughts, but he eventually settled on giving her what she wanted. "Kishinuma... Yoshiki." It... probably wouldn't even lead to anything...

Ayumi examined him in uncertainty as he seemed to be mulling over how to respond. What the hell did he want from her? He didn't give off many emotions to read from. Dull eyes and monotone voice made it hard to even begin to guess what he was thinking. She watched him skeptically as he gave a different name. It... sort of gave her that deja vu feeling. She could have sworn she had heard it before, but her brain couldn't grab at any memories of when that may have happened. "Okay... Kishinuma, why can't others see you?" she asked with a small grimace. She was pretty sure where this was going, but she was scared that she may be right.

Yoshiki narrowed his eyes slightly at her next question. He didn't really want to disclose everything to her, but... he didn't need to hide it all either. Besides, how else could he answer? He shifted slightly, one hand hooking underneath his red t-shirt to move it up, so the stab wound that led to his death was revealed. "I died... a little while ago..," he answered, letting the shirts settle back down after a small moment.

Ayumi paled at the reveal of the bloody wound, her entire body reacting violently to it. Her heart beat raced, her lungs burned, her stomach twisted, her bones trembled, and her mind went into static. He was a ghost. Just as she had suspected. Her sister was a medium, and her hobbies were mostly attached to the dead. It didn't mean that she had ever wanted to meet or encounter a ghost. She was terrified of the actual experience, she only liked telling the stories. A small choked noise escaped her as she stepped back. She didn't know how dangerous he could be, but she did know that he was specifically targeting her. "G-go away! Leave me alone! I don't need some ghost trying to protect me!" she yelled at him. A ghost trapped like this... with that type of wound... he had to be capable of violence.

Yoshiki watched her step back, but because of her memory lapse, he could somewhat understand her fear. That didn't mean he'd obey, though... Of course she didn't know, but she needed him. Anything could happen to her... And he would make sure she wasn't hurt in anyway. "You do... and I'm not trying. I am..," he answered, his look darkening as he resumed the drone-like rambling.

Ayumi stepped back again, eyes narrowed at the ghost as he insisted he had to have a presence in her life. This was quickly becoming more and more terrifying. "Stay the hell away from me!" she snarled, fear gripping her body. She wasn't even concerned with why he was targeting her. She may resemble someone he had known when he was alive... Either way, he was latching onto her despite how little she wanted it. But... he was stuck to the school. She didn't want to miss anymore, but she needed to get away from him. She turned around and began to walk away, deciding she was going to go home. If she told her parents her head hurt and she felt sick, they'd let her skip out. She just couldn't stay where Yoshiki was, with his dark look and scary mumblings.

Yoshiki stared after her, following quietly, but he had to stay a few feet away from the main gate. He watched her leave, his hands staying still by his side. He knew she was scared... But he wasn't after her, so he didn't feel he should stop. She'd understand eventually... He smiled slightly to himself, his eyes more pointed towards the ground. "You'll understand... Then you won't be scared..," he muttered to himself with a slightly more crazed tone, still standing in place as other students passed by without a second thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Ayumi didn't want to come back to school, where dead eyes would follow her every move. Her parents were very willing to let her stay home, but she didn't want to give up school. She liked coming to class and learning, but it was hard to concentrate with Yoshiki's eyes on her. He kept saying he'd protect her, but she had no idea why. She hadn't known him when he was alive, and there was nothing to protect her from here. She told herself to just ignore him. She'd have to research what to do with the haunting, since she had never imagined herself in this position. The most she could do for herself at the moment was pocket some holy water and hope the ghost didn't become aggressive. She had been doing decently at just watching the board. It wasn't like he made the movement to approach her, so maybe she could just pretend he didn't exist... The final bell rung, and she let out a relieved sigh as the day began to wrap up. She just wanted to get off of school grounds.

Notsu eyed Ayumi as the rest of the class filed out. He had heard some rumors going around during her absence... Plus, the whole event a few weeks ago... It was shrouded in mystery, and... suspicion. That maybe the class rep wasn't as pure as she liked to pass off as. If so, he'd like to... get to know miss Shinozaki a little better. Once most of the class left, he made sure to grab Ayumi's attention before she finished getting her stuff together. "Ah, miss Shinozaki, could you come here for a second?" he asked in a louder voice, his hand waving her over.

Ayumi mentally cursed as she was called over, because she was eager to get away from school, and this delayed her. The weight Yoshiki's eyes pressed on her was tremendous, and she couldn't go a moment feeling okay in this place anymore. Even though she so desperately wanted away from the dead boy, she very well couldn't ignore a teacher's request. It was probably just a correction to a paper or some words of concern over her absence after one day back. It would be quick. She slung her bag over her shoulder and approached the teacher. "Yes, sir?" she asked politely. Despite the ghost following her, she was trying hard to appear fine and act normal.

Notsu watched as Ayumi came up. He went to his chair, settling into it and smiling politely at the class representative when she reached the front of his desk. "You've missed quite a lot of class... I was wondering if you'd be interested in a special tutoring session. Today, even. I'm concerned one of my best students is falling behind, due to her unfortunate tumble a month ago...," he explained, approaching this innocently at first, since some other students were still around.

Ayumi stared at Notsu curiously as he began to give her an offer. She hadn't really considered the idea, since she had been keeping up as well as she could in the hospital. Plus, she had plenty of friends to ask for clarification from lessons she missed. Still, she guessed it would be good to get a teacher's explanation. Despite how much she wanted to get the hell away from Yoshiki, her education meant too much for her to put on the wayside. "I would really appreciate that," Ayumi said with a small smile. She would just have to keep ignoring Yoshiki.

Notsu smiled at her, glad she was deciding to take him up on his offer. "Alright. Go sit down, we'll start once all of the distractions are gone," he mentioned with a small chuckle, motioning to the chattering students who were still left in the class. Then, they'd get on the the lesson... Heheh.

Of course, he didn't notice one kid who stood by himself, weary eyes now instead placed on him. It may have been the first time that Ayumi was around, yet he was looking at someone else. Though, the gaze wasn't blank. It was instead one of suspicion and disdain.

"Alright," Ayumi said with a small nod before she obediently went to sit at one of the front desks. She really did want to go home, since she could feel Yoshiki's eyes. It was weird, being aware of someone no one else could see. She hated her psychic blood, sometimes. She would rather be an observer of the occult, rather than a participant. As the classroom slowly died down to the two of them, Ayumi figured she'd address one of the spots that confused her. "Would it be alright if we start on chapter eighteen? I'm still confused on the political relations that stirred the riots," she asked, unsuspecting of this being anything but an extra lesson.

Notsu watched as each student began to file out. With the last one, he stood at the door to bid the student farewell, then shut the door softly. "Haa... Yes, let's begin," he answered naturally, in case anyone lingered by the doors. He approached Ayumi, crossing his arms and his eyes glanced over the book. After a small moment passed, to where he knew he'd be be safe from any curious students or teachers, his hand shifted to close the book. The boy in the back tensed, his eyes growing menacing.

Notsu grabbed Ayumi's arm, to keep her in place. "Let's start the lesson, hm?" he asked with a sly smile. His other hand went down to the exposed skin of her thigh, a look of desire in his eyes.

Ayumi's eyes were focused on her text book, though she registered the teacher's approach. She waited for him to make some sort of comment about political climates or leaders, but instead his hand moved to close the book. She blinked slowly, alarm bells going off in her head. The worry was quickly flared into fear at the feeling of his hand grasping her arm. His slimy smile quickly confirmed that this was very wrong. She could hardly believe he would be dumb enough to think she'd go along- His hand moved across her thigh and air caught in her throat like vomit. "What the hell are you doing!?" she yelped as she tried to tug away but his grip prevented it. Her legs moved in a way to try and distance his hand and her skin.

Notsu just chuckled. Well, she wasn't accepting of it as he had thought, but now, he was already into it. Plus... he liked the power. His hand moved back against her leg, though then it started to slide up. Her skin was nice and smooth... He was already getting addicted to it. But then, the classroom gave a small shake, and the wood walls creaked in opposition of the movement. Eventually, several lights went out, including the two in the back and the one above Notsu. The shattering and suddenness of all this caused the teacher to flinch back in surprise. In this moment, he had let go of Ayumi. "What the hell?!" he questioned, stepping back and glancing out the window of the door. It wasn't a short-circuit caused by some quake... The lights outside in the hall were on...

Ayumi's skin crawled as his hands violated her. Bile rose in her throat as she tried to pull away from Notsu and his disgusting touch. Her mind was cluttered in fear and disbelief that such a horrible thing was about to happen. She wanted to run away, but his grip was too tight. She let out a small cry, but it was drowned out at the sound of shattering glass. Her eyes widened at the darkness they were suddenly put in. Her flight instinct kicked in at the release of his grip, and she moved away to take off into a sprint. She couldn't stay and consider what just happened, because she just wanted to get away from the old pervert. Her feet carried her quickly as she went into search of someone that she could tell. She wouldn't let Notsu get away with touching her like that!

Notsu let out a quiet curse, attempting to chase after Ayumi. Though, as he neared the door, it slammed shut. He stumbled backwards, a small fear building in his stomach. "W-who the hell is there?! Stop playing hero and show yourself!" he yelled out, trying to make himself seem in control. Then, a fog-like atmosphere began to overtake the room. What Notsu heard next was something he couldn't quite place. A... dripping faucet? There was no sink in here, though... He was frozen solid with fear as the dripping became more of a sloppy splashing, and he could see some silhouette in the fog.

Yoshiki stared at Notsu with palpable rage. This man... had touched Ayumi, in such a disgusting way... Ayumi was too pure to do away with scum like this... So he'd do it for her. Blood soaked into his clothes, making him actually start to resemble how he had died; covered in blood, both his own and Shiro's. The large blood stain at his side began dripping, and eventually pouring out, blood. As he walked closer to Notsu, his footsteps resounded throughout the dark classroom, some squishing against blood. He paused, looking around the room for some sort of tool. With fury instead of care and guilt, his eyes were crazed. Notsu couldn't move, especially with how clearer the image looked as it stepped closer. He was transparent, but it was obvious, after he was visible against the fog.

"K-Kishinuma...?" Notsu asked slowly in a small, scared voice. No... No, that punk was dead! How could...? He stumbled back, hitting against the edge of his desk. "Do... Don't hurt me! P-please!" he screamed in hysteric fear. His wide eyes watched Yoshiki pick up a chair, examining the leg. What exactly... was he doing?

Yoshiki, without really thinking about it, grabbed the leg with two hands, breaking it apart with minimal effort. He hadn't even thought of the possibility that he wasn't strong enough, but now he had an idea of just how strong he was as a spirit. A small smile grew at the jagged edges of the broken leg, then he continued stepping closer. Notsu let out a pitiful yelp, trying to make a run for the door. Though as he moved to run, Yoshiki swept his leg hard with the metal. He cried out, falling over onto his back, cradling his shattered leg. "NgggaaAAAAA! P-PLEEEAASE! I... I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" he begged, squeezing his eyes shut with pain.

Yoshiki glowered down at him, taking in how pathetic he looked. His grin turned to a dark grimace, his eyes sharp with disdain. "... Maybe you won't, but... either way, you won't even think about doing that again to Ayumi," he told him with a low tone, as his hand raised with the chair leg. He brought it down with brute force, stabbing the jagged metal into his crotch. Notsu let out a blood-curdling scream, squirming about, but each movement caused a spike of volume in his voice.

Yoshiki watched for a moment before disappearing from Notsu's sight. The room emptied of fog, and the only blood that remained on the floor was Notsu's. He writhed in pain for a few more minutes, before his body slumped down, and his cries ran completely out.

Ayumi was running through the hall, eyes burning as tears escaped. Why the hell was everything crumbling all of a sudden? A watchful ghost that insisted he must watch her and a perverted teacher trying to make a move on her. Plus, the room- it had gone dark. The watchful ghost may have given her an escape from the potential actions Notsu would've committed, but she felt no better about anything.

"Miss Shinozaki? What are you doing?" an older female teacher asked, grabbing Ayumi's arm to cease her hurried movements. The teacher's eyes widened at the sight of Ayumi's tears. "Is something wrong?" she asked in a gentler voice. Ayumi blinked at her, brain stalling at the idea of explaining what happened. She would rather talk to Ms. Yui.

Ayumi opened her mouth to give some sort of response when screams resounded through the walls of the school. The older teacher looked at Ayumi in alarm, as she moved to find the source of all the screaming. Ayumi's breathing was ragged, but she forced herself to follow. She was trembling as they made their way back to the 2-9 classroom. Her feet were resistant as they rounded the corner. Some classmates were screaming, one of the girls pointing at the classroom in horror. The teacher that had accompanied Ayumi looked into the classroom, her face becoming pale as words escaped her. Everything was chaos. People saying to call the police. Screams of a murderer still in the school ran through Ayumi's bones. Her feet carried her to the door, where her eyes were drawn to the corpse of Notsu. Just a moment ago, his hand was forcing its way up her leg. Now he was dead.

She swallowed thickly, the sight of blood hurting her head. Yoshiki killed him. He had to of. The lights that had been messed with... the ability to have that much force with a weapon. She was choking. She turned away from the corpse, the frantic crowd of students and teachers panicking over the new crime was easy to slip through unnoticed. She had been scared of Yoshiki before, but now that she knew he was a violent ghost, her blood felt as if it ran cold. It had to have been... because of his declaration to protect her. This wasn't right, though! He murdered someone! She was quick making her way off the school grounds as heavy sobs escaped her.

Yoshiki stayed near the gate of the school, though in a place he was more hidden from obvious sight. His eyes had returned their normal blank, though there was a storm of unorganized thoughts in his head. Some were over the success of 'protecting' Ayumi, and others were more hectic thoughts of guilt. It happened again... Only this time, his mind felt even deeper submerged into his anger. His eyes followed Ayumi out of the school as she rushed home, and his eyes began to grow a bit duller. "I protected her... It's not wrong...," he muttered to himself, still looking in the direction of the school gates as the sun set.


	7. Chapter 7

School had been cancelled for a few more days after Notsu's murder. There were no traces of a killer, but no one could even begin to find clues for figuring out who the murderer was. Ayumi kept her mouth shut, knowing that trying to explain a ghost did it would be fruitless. Even if the man had been a pervert, she felt guilt clawing at her at night. Yoshiki killed him because of her. Because he was protecting her. She could hardly consider it protection, though. It was terrifying, unfounded possessiveness that cost someone their life. She was disgusted that this even happened, and that she was involved in it.

She struggled pushing herself out of bed to get back to school when it reopened. With the crime, though, she had heard that some parents were tempted to pull their children from Kisaragi. A police officer had been assigned to work full-time at the school, but Ayumi knew that wouldn't help. All the guns and brute force in the world wouldn't work. He needed to be appeased or exorcised. The class was solemn and quiet, the entire day passing in a gray blur. She tried to ignore Yoshiki again, even if when her eyes did catch him, they only reflected disgust. He was a murderer, and she didn't want him around her. She was beginning to worry she would have to transfer out... but it would fix her problem. He'd just be an aimless ghost if she left for good...

Yoshiki had spent a little time alone at the school the days of its closure. He spent some time on the roof, until he was consumed with worry. What if... something happened to Ayumi outside of school? So, he began to go to the gate, pushing to see how far he could go, before his mind completely blanked out and replaced him in the basement. By the time school was scheduled to reopen, he had a new boundary, which was a good ways down the sidewalk. It wasn't as far as he'd like to be able to go... but now he had a goal to occupy his buzzing mind with when Ayumi wasn't around.

When Ayumi came back to school, he sat in the regular seat, which still hadn't been filled. Occasionally, he'd catch a glance from Ayumi, though his numb mind barely caught onto the disdain in her eyes. Despite her unhappiness, he kept watching, making sure she was safe as long as he could reach her.

Ayumi was quick to leave school now. She found her weary of the teachers and any excuse to stick around. If he could see what was happening, she felt unsafe and scared. So, it was always a weight lifted off of her when she was passed the school's gates, and he couldn't watch her anymore. That was, until she was about a block away from school when the terrorized feeling never left. She turned her head, the dread that had built in her stomach exploded when she saw Yoshiki. He... was away from the school. He shouldn't be able to leave the school's premises! Her breath hitched as fear and anger collided. "How are you still following me!?" she snapped at him, a look of revulsion was clear in her eyes.

Yoshiki was having a little trouble focusing as they moved further and further away from the school. He wouldn't be able to go much farther without his mind tuning out... He also felt a little weaker further out, so he was a little worried he wouldn't be able to protect her so far out. He didn't want to fail again... His eyes widened slightly and he stopped after Ayumi stopped, and she shouted irritably at him. "You weren't safe far away... so I came farther," he told her matter-of-factly with a monotone voice, simplifying the answer as much as it possibly could have been.

Ayumi wanted to scream as his answers were always spoken so matter-of-factly, despite the fact there was nothing normal about any of this. "Stop! Just stop!" she snarled at him, as she resisted the urge to scream at him any louder. To a bystander, she would appear to be talking to herself, so she didn't want to draw attention. "I don't want your protection! I don't want your sick help, you bastard!" she hissed in anger as Notsu's bloody, dead body flashed in front of her eyes. She didn't ever want to see another corpse.

Yoshiki watched her attempt to order him, but it still didn't go through. Even less this time, as his mind was even more clouded with the illusion that he needed to protect her, and doing that in any way was excused. "I won't let you be hurt in anyway... No matter what," he said, as if ignoring the entire command to stop. At the thought of those who hurt her or tried to, his eyes grew more out of focus and menacing. Anyone who touched or hurt Ayumi... It was obvious to him that they had to be killed, or else they'd come back and do it again. He'd eliminate the scum that harmed Ayumi, so she herself would never have to.

Ayumi was pretty sure what she felt in her gut for this ghost was unadulterated loathing. He kept saying the same thing every time she talked to him, even if it was phrased differently. "Why feel like you need to protect me specifically? I never even knew you in your living life," she asked stiffly. Commands and yelling weren't going to work. Maybe she should just give in and try to figure out what she could do to appease him. She didn't have many other options, if he was able to break the boundary of the school.

Yoshiki's eyes came back into focus as she continued, though he felt unable to answer. Because he did know her... He loved her, yet when it counted, he had failed. Yes, she was still alive, but... that was luck. He couldn't protect her from the situation she had been in, and now he was determined to for as long as he could. And now, after killing Shiro, he had damned himself... So he used his tainted hands, to keep Ayumi safe and pure. Even if she did hate him... it had to be done. However, he could say none of this out loud, so he had no answer for her. He let the stretch of silence continue with a blank stare.

Ayumi scoffed in irritation at his resounding silence. She would never figure out why this ghost imprinted on her, would she? She let out a shaky sigh. Communicating with the ghost wracked her nerves to the point where she was pretty sure she was going to be sick. "Stop following me around and- and hurting others in the name of protecting me," she said with one final look of disgust before turning and trying to walk away from him. She knew demands didn't work, but she couldn't walk away without making her disapproval clear once again. As she walked another block, she hoped he wouldn't be able to follow her back to her house, because she would never get any rest if he did.

Yoshiki kept on her trail, his mind focusing only on the one goal he had set for himself. Though, in a few more steps, he had to stop and just stare somewhat longingly until she turned a corner. More... He needed to be able to go farther. He took a few more steps, despite how heavy his body started to feel, and how dark his vision was getting. Eventually though, everything went black, and in a flash, he was back against the cold floor of the basement. He pushed out a sigh, his eyes staring blankly forward into the darkness. He'd try more tomorrow...


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a week since Yoshiki had started to be able to push farther than the school's premises, and it terrified Ayumi. It quickly felt like no place was becoming safe. He so desperately wanted to protect her, but he was putting her in a state of wrecked nerves and sobbing outbursts. Her mind was collapsing in on itself as the stress continuously built up day after day. He would follow her, but he would never make it to her house. It was a small consolation, knowing he may eventually get there. She became desperate to curb this push in distance and starting trying to take different ways home. Long paths that put so much time on her walk home, but it was worth it if it gave her more time.

It was spitting rain, but the ground was hardly affected by it at this point. Her new path home ran her through an undesirable part of town, but given it was the middle of the day, she wasn't too concerned. Honestly, the ghost trailing her every move was more worrisome than walking by some delinquents. She clutched her schoolbag close as she made her way through the street with her head down. '_Stop following me. Stop following me. Stop following me,_' she repeated in her head as she could feel those eyes burning into the back of her head. She didn't want this at all.

She had just turned a corner and passed an old supermarket when a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She was thrown against the brick wall of the store. She froze, brain blanking as she tried to absorb what was happening. Some boy with sharp eyes and an unfriendly face had yanked her into an alleyway. As terrifying as this was to her already jacked nerves, they only went worse as the gleam of a small pocket knife drew her attention.

Koga intended for this to be an easy mugging. He needed some money to pay back a favor and get some cigarettes. Schoolgirls were always easy to exploit, since they never tried to fight back. "Give me any money you have on you," he growled threateningly against her ear. She let out a small noise, seemingly frozen in shock. He felt a rush of annoyance as he was eager to get this over with. "Now," he hissed as he drew the knife closer.

Ayumi's hands were quick to find the outer pocket of her bag and pull out her wallet. She held it out for him to take, since she had no illusion money was worth risking her life for.

Koga opened the wallet, his expression darkening as the amount was way too small. Goddammit, he didn't want to have to do this again, because that was pushing his luck. "Dammit, give me your bag," he hissed. He could pawn off her cell phone and whatever else she may have.

Ayumi hesitated for a moment, and that was enough to set the boy off. He grabbed the bag in one hand and held the blade to her throat with the other. She froze at the feeling of cold metal against her throat, hovering over an artery. Her breathing became more shallow as she felt her body freeze. He wouldn't kill her. This was all a threat. He'd take what he wanted, and she would just have to accept any material loss.

Koga made sure to keep the knife pressed against her throat. He hadn't killed anyone before, but he certainly knew how to use the metal in his hand. His other hand moved the bag as he peered into it. His eyes narrowed at the belongings... a cell phone, a PSP, some books, some... weird shit... charms, maybe? Well, the electronics would probably be enough. Koga pulled the knife away, and used his leg to kick Ayumi back out of the alley. "I'm done with you," he sneered as he took her belongings and ran.

Yoshiki had gotten better at going longer distances, especially over the weekends. Today, though, Ayumi was taking a route that was making him especially on edge. The early days, when he had first been kicked out of his house, he spent a little time around this place. He had actually managed to get a job at the music store shortly afterword... Who knows what would've happened had that old manager not helped him out. He tensed as Ayumi disappeared into an alleyway, his eyes growing crazed again.

... Once Ayumi was pushed out and Koga was off running, the alley way began to fog over. At the end of the alleyway where Koga was headed, a silhouette appeared through the fog. The dripping noise began, again followed by a thick splashing noise. "You... You put a knife to Ayumi's throat," he droned out with dark eyes, his fists clenched at his sides with anger. He had threatened to kill Ayumi... therefore, he should be killed. It wasn't wrong... It was for the better. He had wholly convinced his jumbled mind of this.

Koga's eyes narrowed at the sight of the unexpected fog. The weather condition definitely didn't call for it. The dripping noise made the entire thing weird enough that his fast pace slowed down. The loud splash halted his motions, and suddenly he was spoken to. He was about to snap at whoever was enough of a self-righteous asshole to try to play vigilante, when his eyes caught onto a very familiar person. "The fuck!? You're dead!" he gasped as he took a step back, the alley wall stopping him from escaping easily. He had known Yoshiki during his days of being a delinquent, although the two had never been friends. He had heard that Yoshiki had been stabbed. He had been buried. Yet the person standing in front of him was definitely Kishinuma Yoshiki.

Yoshiki stepped closer to Koga, the blood he was soaked with and dripping on the ground becoming more visible. He didn't seem to care about Koga's surprise over his appearance, his eyes just seemed locked on the knife he had pressed against Ayumi's skin. The image made his mind dull, and filled his vision with red. Kill... People like this should be killed. "You will be too...," he told him in a dark tone, his eyes narrowed as he stepped close enough to have cornered Koga. "A knife... You threatened to kill Ayumi...," he said in nonsensical repetitiveness. His eyes grew somewhat unfocused with cruel insanity, his frown deep.

Koga flinched as the blood covered Yoshiki approaching him. He didn't believe in ghosts or any of that shit, but he was certainly sure his eyes weren't fucking with him. Koga looked behind him in panic as he found himself cornered. He pulled out the knife he had drawn on Ayumi and threateningly held it towards Yoshiki. "Goddammit, man, I wasn't going to kill her! I just needed to get what I could from her! Don't pretend you don't know what it's like!" he snarled at Yoshiki as he refused to show the fear that reverberated in his bones. Yoshiki had once been out on the street, and he knew how tight money could get. It wasn't like Koga had any intentions of drawing blood!

Yoshiki stopped stepping closer as Koga held out the knife, but not because he was scared of it. Even if it could hurt him, he already had the pain of being stabbed, that never stopped. He eyed the knife with interest, beginning to think it was only fair if Koga died by the rules of his method. He glanced back up at Koga with dead eyes as he rambled on, but wasn't calmed by what he said. Yoshiki had never robbed anyone... especially not Ayumi. Being called similar was making his gut burn hotter in irritation. "You threatened Ayumi... Now I have to get rid of you, so it doesn't happen again," he said, though he wasn't really replying to what Koga said. Why should he? He would only be wasting his time... His hand reached out and grabbed Koga by the wrist, his grip tightening slowly in an attempt for Koga to drop the knife.

Koga was panicked as Yoshiki's dull eyes were locked on him. The dead bastard was covered in blood, maybe from himself or maybe someone else, either way, it was downright creepy. Koga felt instincts kicking in to get away, because a fist or knife would hardly affect a dead person. He was frozen in place, no options seemed to be showing themselves. He wasn't ready to die, and was prepared to fight like hell. His wrist was grabbed, and he tried to pull his arm back. Yoshiki wouldn't give, and the grip was getting tighter and tighter. Sharp pain cracked from him wrist, shooting up his arm like lightning. His fingers released the blade as he let out a yell of pain. "FUCK. GODDAMMIT. Kishinuma, you bastard! I'll slit your throat!" he yelled as his mind felt to be fogging from pain.

Yoshiki watched for the moment that Koga dropped the knife, his eyes following the blade down to the ground. He glanced up at Koga, unmoved by his threat. They were hollow words... After all, you couldn't kill what was already dead. His eyes narrowed as a small, sinister smile formed, his hand keeping him in place as he bent down to grab the knife. "Well... we'll see which of us does it first..," he muttered, lifting the knife up and placing it against Koga's neck. He pressed hard, to where a small cut formed, though he went no farther. His eyes flashed to Ayumi's belongings. He... needed to return them... clean. He glared at Koga, his grimace reappearing. "Put Ayumi's wallet back in her bag, put it down, and kick it away," he demanded forcefully.

Koga's eyes narrowed at Yoshiki as he picked up the knife. His eyes kept shifting for a way to find a way out, but he wondered if one could evade a ghost. His blood was running hot in hatred, as he couldn't control the fear crippling his movements. Koga cringed lightly, eyes squeezing shut as the knife was put to his neck. At the command, he scoffed loudly. "Fuck you. I ain't doing shit you tell me to do," he snarled as his own attempt as a last stand. If he was going to die anyway, he wouldn't listen to the dead bastard.

Yoshiki's eyes narrowed, as he found Koga's pride unusually annoying. He tilted his head curiously, pressing the knife up to cut a bit of skin below Koga's ear. "Is that so?" he asked with a slight tone of disappointment. "Ayumi doesn't like violence, or blood... So I'm going to have to get them somehow..," he muttered, almost as if he was just planning to himself. The hand around Koga's wrist moved to his shoulder, to hold him in place. He turned the knife so the handle faced Koga. He reared back, and them slammed it against the shoulder that held the bag.

Koga took a sharp inhale at the feel of skin being nicked under his ear. He didn't want to die. He really wasn't ready. He was torn between begging for his life and telling Yoshiki to piss off. He never liked the half-hearted bastard in life, and he certainly hated him in death. Koga kept up his glare as Yoshiki spoke, keeping up his defiance. He refused to listen to him. He watched as Yoshiki shifted, unsure of what was going to happen. He watched the change from blade to handle, anxiety heavy in his gut. He wanted to move, but the damn ghost's grip was too tight. The impact happened in a swift movement and a yell of pain escaped him. He had no choice put to drop the purse as his shoulder went into a painful spasm. "GAAaaaahhHH!" he screamed, any smartass comments lost in the pain.

Yoshiki watched the bag fall, then watched the painful reaction Koga had to the blow. His hand tightened his grip on his other shoulder as he bent down, placing the knife to exchange for the bag. He checked through it, finding that the wallet was also safely included. Good, she wouldn't have to see the blood this time. He put the purse back down, sliding it a ways away down the alley, and picking the knife back up. "Don't worry... I'll put you out of your misery. What kind of life is this, anyway?" he asked with a hollow voice, again trying to place more reason into his actions, to minimize the guilt. He pressed the knife against this cut he had made early, then, without anymore talk, he slid it across. The skin split from ear to ear, and Yoshiki let go of Koga's shoulder. He stepped back, watching quietly to make sure he died.

Koga cursed under his breath as he raggedly breathed in an attempt to have the pain die down. He watched the ghost make a fuss over Ayumi's stuff, the entire thing was weird. Would this have happened if he targeted any other girl? No, probably not. The pathetic jerk specifically picked up his act because of her. Now he was following her around in death? Whipped even in death. How dare he act like he had been above this life. Bastard had played a role, but he had been a street rat like him. And now, in death, he was a murderer. He never got the chance to make a comeback as the skin of his throat was cut. He tried to make noise, the blood bubbling out his throat and some spat up. The blood was flowing out of him, and his mind fuzzed over. He first fell to his knees, and then he fell onto the hard concrete. After moments of flowing blood, his eyes became dull with death.

Yoshiki watched the whole time as Koga's blood ran out. All the while, his mind was spitting out excuses to keep his purpose pure, in his deranged mind. Once he was certain Koga was dead, his anger began to leak away, and the blood began disappearing. His clothes eventually were clean again, and that's when he chose to approach her bag. He picked it up, determining that today, he'd have no choice but to make it all the way to her house. After all... he had to give her stuff back...

* * *

Ayumi was sniffing away tears as she got home empty handed. The feeling of that cold blade against her throat... It had tightened her gut and stopped her heart. She couldn't stop tears from overflowing. She headed upstairs to her room to calm down a little before calling her mother. Would this need a police report? She didn't want to talk to any cops... She opened her door and froze.

Her bag was sitting on her bed, as if it hadn't been taken from her at all.

A shiver shot up her spine as she felt everything come crashing down. When anything weird or scary occurred in her life, it was pretty easy to point a finger nowadays. But, that would mean... She crossed her arms tightly around herself and slowly approached the window with a weary look. She pushed the curtain out to look at the sidewalk outside her house.

Ayumi choked on air at the sight of Yoshiki standing at the sidewalk. "Dammit!" she cursed as she backed away, hitting the back of her foot on her desk and falling. Even with her stuff back, she couldn't stop sobbing. This ghost was never going to leave her alone! And, with her bag back... That meant the boy that mugged her was probably dead. Her lungs burned for air as she grossly sobbed to herself. Even if he had been a jerk who tried to mug her, he didn't deserve to die.


	9. Chapter 9

Ayumi was getting sick of this ghost, but her options were limited. Talking to him never gave her any answers. He droned on about protecting her and never gave her anything to work off of. He wasn't dangerous to her but to everyone around her. Ayumi was terrified what this may lead to. Would he murder her parents for grounding her? Would he murder someone for bumping into her on the street? She talked herself down often, telling herself that he wouldn't be that extreme. A man molesting her and a man that mugged her... They were extreme cases of the bad in the world. It hardly helped her nerves thinking of it that way. His eyes felt like they were on her at all times. She'd look outside, he stood outside her house like a demented guard dog. She went to school, and he sat in the back with his eyes focused on her.

It was never-ending.

Ayumi couldn't give up on trying to continue on normally, though. When her mother asked her to pick up some things for dinner, she agreed. She guessed she hoped that Yoshiki would go away. As if, if she just sucked it up and kept it up, he'd work through her system like a common cold. It had been so long since she hadn't felt his gaze weigh on her. His presence was common, like a disease.

She took the grocery list and headed out, plucking out vegetables and other goods that had been scribbled in the columns of the list. When grabbing the last bit of chicken soup broth, she heard a middle-aged woman clear her throat loudly. Ayumi froze and glanced at her. She noticed the woman glaring daggers at her, but she decided to try and ignore it. They probably had more broth in the back, and she wasn't in the mood to try and please the woman.

"Excuse me. I need that," the woman spoke up as Ayumi made the effort to try and walk away without dispute.

Ayumi resisted letting out a heavy sigh. She would normally let the woman have it, but she was just too tired. She turned and forced an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, ma'am. I'm in a rush, and I did grab it first," Ayumi pointed out. The woman hadn't even been close when she initially went for it, so it wasn't like she snapped it from under her nose.

"What the hell is wrong with you girl!? Have some goddamn respect for your elders! I saw it first!" she snapped, waving her hands in a dramatic manner.

"I'm sure someone can go grab you some from the back. I really do need to go, my mother is wait-" Ayumi began to try to explain before the woman seemed more set off by her words.

"You want me to wait!? I have more going on than you, you dumb little girl! I don't have time to wait! I have people to see and things to do!" the woman began to yell. Ayumi flinched and opened her mouth in an attempt to calm down the situation. She couldn't even get a word in. "Shut up, you little slut! I'm not done yet! Lemme guess, you think because you're young and your parents still pay for all your special materialistic shit, that you have free reign. You think you have first call of everything in the world! Well, lemme tell you, sweetie, life ain't so sweet. You'll be in a gutter, begging for some change from hard working people like me! Let me tell you, if I ever see you in a gutter, dearie, I'm gonna spit on ya," the woman snarled.

Ayumi stood stunned, mouth agape and eyes wide. She stuttered some unsure response, since the woman was glaring at her, expecting her to react. It was hard to find words after being called and targeted like that. She was angry, her blood boiling, but she was also finding it hard to argue. The woman was just yelling at her for some general reasons she couldn't keep up with.

Yoshiki followed closely behind, glancing at anybody that walked near Ayumi. He was on serious edge after Koga... He had been a little slow at making him pay. Had he decided to kill Ayumi, he wouldn't have saved her in time... He didn't let himself give excuses. He just had to have better reaction time. He was anxious around the market, since there was a lot of people to keep his eyes on. He paused as Ayumi ran into some trouble with some overreacting woman. He's eyes narrowed wearily. She wasn't dangerous yet, but she held the most possibility at the moment. Though, at the word slut, more of a trigger he had in his living days had been hit. His eyes grew malicious at the woman, and the anger consuming his mind left little room to consider waiting for Ayumi to leave or for a more secluded area.

_Drip. Drip._

The blood formed and plopped against the floor. To Ayumi, he just looked like himself in death, but of course to the woman, more transparency was involved. "Slut?... Ayumi's no slut...," he muttered with anger seeping from his tone, but his voice could be hardly heard by the older woman who was a bit farther away. His mind rambled on with angry thoughts that jumbled together in one hectic storm. He went forward, tackling into the woman and holding her throat down. Part of him was trying to be rational and saying this wasn't reason to kill, but the anger raging inside easily overpowered his decrepit mind. The wrath stored up was breaking down any morality he had held onto before death. But, at the very least, it stopped him from using his full strength. So instead of a very quick death, crushing the windpipe, it was a much slower strangling.

Ayumi's brain lagged at the sound of plopping water, not registering what it meant. Than, it revealed itself in a blood-soaked ghost. Ayumi took a sharp breath, her heart leaping painfully against her chest. Covered in blood, with malice clear in his eyes and actions. Ayumi was frozen as he spoke, most of it making little sense. It was clear the woman was terrified and confused, but she couldn't react. Ayumi wouldn't have though- All she did was yell at her! The woman wasn't going to do more than be a jerk! His hands were around the sharp-tongued woman's throat, cutting off her ability to speak and, more importantly, breathe. "Yoshiki, stop!" Ayumi begged with tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She was watching a murder- No! She wouldn't let him kill her. "Please stop! She isn't dangerous! She wasn't going to hurt me!" she said urgently to him.

Ayumi's pleas were mostly tuned out, as Yoshiki was determined to make this foul woman feel his wrath. How little she actually did to Ayumi didn't matter anymore. He wanted to see her life vanish for saying such disgusting things at Ayumi, who had done nothing to deserve any sort of venom thrown at her.

Ayumi watched in terror as Yoshiki didn't even seem to realize she was speaking. Or, he was choosing to ignore her completely. The woman was choking, trying to grasp at hands that she had no power to get off her. Ayumi's hand moved into her skirt pocket, her eyes narrowing in resolve. She couldn't watch a woman be murdered for such a petty thing. She didn't deserve such a fate. She pulled out a vial of holy water, using her thumb to swipe off the bottle cap. She had no other choice. This had to be done. She splashed the water out onto Yoshiki, in hope it would save this woman.

Yoshiki was only paying attention the the struggling woman. So, when the water was flung, it surprised him greatly. He shouted out in burning pain, tossing himself onto his side. It hurt... It hurt a lot... Like being on fire, though his mind was confused with the soaked feeling on his back. The blood began to disappear, and once he looked like his old self, his body began to fade. It still hurt, but he could feel an immense pressure in his mind. Everything then went black, and when the agony passed and his eyes found the strength to open again, he was stuck on the basement floor again. Like day one, his body couldn't move from where he had died... His chest felt heavy, and the panic he had been sent through made him pant, despite not having to breath. _Blood, everywhere, again... Blood, pain... Ayumi... Ayu... mi..._

Ayumi watched through glassy eyes as Yoshiki was greatly hurt from the water. She couldn't find any sympathy for him, though. He was going to kill the woman. The woman was panting, passed out of the ground. Ayumi blinked slowly as she backed out of the aisle. She abandoned her basket of food before making a run for it. She wasn't able to stay there and watch a scene unfold, as she had with Notsu. She had managed to help the woman keep her life, but what was her life going to become? Yoshiki murdering anyone who even said something off to her? This couldn't go on... She'd have to dig down and push herself to appease this ghost... Neither of them deserved this. She would have to begin researching tomorrow. After all, he had died at Kisaragi. She just had to figure out where.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day at school, there was no Yoshiki. No ghost eyes watching her every movement. It was weird... but nice. It was hard to enjoy when she wondered what the holy water did. Even if he was a murderer... he had probably been a normal kid before dying. The school day dragged on for hours and hours, and she had her eyes on the clock the whole time. School drew to a close and students began to file out of the building. She dismissed herself, unsure of what she was looking for. She wandered by all the classrooms, peering in. How odd, she finally got the peace she had been craving, but now she was searching for him. Her peace would only last so long without answers to all these questions, though. This had to be done. The normal floors all cleared out, so she moved down to the basement. For a murder to happen in the back wouldn't be too hard to believe. She walked back the computer lab, her head beginning to hurt. Yes... this had to be it. She could feel the vibe of malice gushing out of the walls and floor. She didn't want to go further, but she pushed herself. She kept muttering to herself, "It has to be done...", as she moved deeper.

Yoshiki was mostly worried about Ayumi as he laid there, even though his own pain was making it hard to think. This place made his wound hurt a lot more than anywhere else in the school... He wanted to leave, and find Ayumi... He didn't want anything bad happening to her. He coughed quietly, trying to rid himself of a building pressure in his chest, though it did nothing to help. The prior pain and unnatural means of caging him here made the blood on his clothes that was once gone return, and his own pooled on the floor as it had before he died. His eyes squinted slightly at a light coming from an open door, and at first he thought it was a janitor. But it soon turned out to be Ayumi. No... he didn't like her down here... It made his gut twist in anxiety. His mind was pleading for her to go, but his body made no movements, and his eyes were transfixed somewhere forwards, looking with a blank, dead stare.

Ayumi stared at Yoshiki's body as she came to the basement. He... must have died here then. She could feel the sympathy she hadn't managed before bubble up. How much pain was he constantly in? How did he even think? Well, he certainly didn't think straight. She walked by him, beginning to examine the basement. She shuffled around the water pump and heater and other metal things that she didn't know what they did. After a while, she was beginning to lose hope that she would find anything to help. Then some white square caught her eyes. It stood out enough that she moved her hand between the equipment to get it. She pulled it back, eyes widening as she was met with the picture of a living Yoshiki. His expression was bored, but there was life in him. The next detail to catch her eyes... She took a sharp breath, the number 2-9 seemed to overwhelm her. He was... in her class? She caught the year, the same school year as her...

Yoshiki had been in her class?

B-but... that couldn't be. She would have... known him... Although, if she had, it would make more sense as to why he would protect her like this. She couldn't think straight with the new information and bad vibes pounding against her head. She moved back, giving Yoshiki one sad glance before moving out of the basement.

She rushed home, head abuzz as she ran up to her room. She couldn't understand any of this. Class 2-9, in her year, and she couldn't remember him at all. Kishinuma Yoshiki... What the hell was his story? How was he attached to her? She turned on her computer, waiting the screen with narrowed eyes. She felt like she was missing some big detail, and the internet may be able to shed some light. As the screen loaded up, she clicked her browser and went to a search engine. She typed in Yoshiki's name, and suddenly she was sent to a gray screen. "H-huh?" she blinked slowly. Was it... blocked? She went back and typed in Kisaragi Academy. Again, she was met with a gray page.

She tried a couple more inputs before realizing this wasn't going to work. "Fuck," she hissed in frustration as she turned off the useless machine. The fact it seemed someone, likely her parents, had blocked all such inputs was confusing her even more. She was missing something, and it seemed that she would have to find her information through a person.

It was quite the debate of who Ayumi should ask to figure out what she was clearly missing. She didn't want anyone to lie to her, but she knew that there was something going on. They all had to know Yoshiki, but everyone was pretending his death didn't happen. She eventually came to the conclusion that Satoshi would be her best guess. Mostly because... he had reacted differently than everyone when she had asked of the seat back when she had first noticed Yoshiki.

Before the class cleared out, Ayumi caught Satoshi at the sleeve. He turned around with a questioning look, and Ayumi simply glanced aside. Satoshi followed her gaze to the seat where Yoshiki used to stay. His look became more solemn.

At the look, Ayumi knew there was something going on and that Satoshi would tell her. "Can you stay to talk?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he agreed without a moment of hesitation. The two moved back into the class as everyone emptied out. The two just sat in thoughtful silence until the last student finally shuffled out. "So, what's going on, Shinozaki?" Satoshi asked as he glanced at her. He couldn't let himself jump to any conclusions or say anything that may ruin everything... Not that everything wasn't ruined already.

"I... found this," Ayumi said as she held up the slick piece of plastic. Satoshi paused, looking at it with a confused glare. His hand hesitantly moved towards it.

Satoshi's eyes grew grim at the sight of his dead best friend. But... there was a rush of relief. She had found this, which meant, she may remember? "Do you... know him?" Satoshi asked quietly, trying to reign himself in.

"Kishinuma Yoshiki... a boy that was in his class. B-but... I can't remember him," she explained quietly. She had been stressing herself out trying to figure this out, but it didn't help. "I was hoping you could tell me," she explained. It wasn't like Satoshi could argue his existence at this point. That ID proved he had been here, at some point.

Satoshi rubbed the back of his head, as his other hand balanced the card between his fingers. "I'm not supposed to tell you," he admitted, since he should argue this. But, dammit, he wanted her to know. Yoshiki deserved to be remembered. Especially by Ayumi, who had been one of his closer friends.

"Please," she begged forcefully. She needed to know, and Satoshi was the only one who would be close to willing to talk about this.

Satoshi let out a heavy sigh, but the small plea had been enough to break down his walls. "Kishinuma Yoshiki was apart of our group of friends. He had been a delinquent, but you turned him around. You always pushed him to do better with himself, and you two were good friends. But, one night, you two... were taken down to the basement by Mr. Naito, an old teacher that had taught grammar. I'm not exactly sure what happened... but you were found tied up with a head injury. Mr. Naito had been stabbed to death. Yoshiki... he had bled out," Satoshi explained with grim eyes and a deep frown. He missed his friend, so much. But, it felt good, to finally tell Ayumi.

Ayumi stared at Satoshi, the new information filling her head. It pushed at the gates of her brain, and something triggered. The memories, as he spoke of them, flashed in her brain. Yoshiki... oh god, Yoshiki! Her hand clasped to her mouth as she took a sharp inhale. Tears filled her eyes, grief hitting her like a truck.

Satoshi stopped as he heard the noise escape Ayumi. He turned, brows furrowing in concern. "Shinozaki?" he asked urgently.

"I- I remember!" she wailed, clutching her stomach as heavy sobs escaped. Yoshiki was dead. He had been stabbed and bled out. Yoshiki had been following and terrifying her. Yoshiki had murdered multiple people. Yoshiki was dead. She couldn't stop the pain from enveloping her whole. Satoshi paused for a moment, uncertain of what to do. He slowly drew her into a hug, a friendly gesture to offer comfort. Ayumi's loud cries of pain over Yoshiki brought tears to Satoshi's eyes all over again. He wasn't sure if it was best for Ayumi to know, but it was right.

Ayumi sobbed into Satoshi's shoulder for a long while, but the pain eventually morphed into something else. It turned into determination. She had to help him. Release him from his pain. She didn't know how, but she remembered and owed it to him. "I have to go," she said to Satoshi, backing away from him.

"Are you okay?" Satoshi asked in uncertainty that he should let her go.

"I will be," she assured him with a great deal of confidence. Satoshi couldn't argue with her. He gave a small nod, leaving her to herself. Ayumi leaned back against the window, panting heavily. This was all so much. She had such a pain in her chest, but she was also hopeful. Maybe she could help Yoshiki now. She just didn't want to go into the basement... It didn't feel right for them to talk down where he had died. "K-Kishinuma?" she called out to the empty room, in the vague hope he would come.


	11. Chapter 11

Yoshiki wondered around the halls. Somewhere, in the middle of the day, he had finally been able to leave the basement, but... Everything felt off. His mind was having trouble discerning one classroom from another. It was weird and confusing... that he couldn't really navigate the halls he had been so used to. It was a little after all the other kids had already filed out that he heard it. Ayumi...

She was... calling for him?... And in a much more familiar way than she had been... Though he was scared of her judgement or possible hatred, he had to follow the sound to the old classroom of 2-9. Instead of just phasing through, his hand hesitantly grabbed the door handle and opened it, though just enough that he could fit through. He entered quietly, though, miraculously, didn't make eye contact. With her way of speaking, it was much more the Ayumi he used to know, so her presence was making the guilt from over a month ago come barreling back. Now, he didn't want to face her... because of what he had done... His mind for some reason shut himself off from the other two killings he had committed. Just Shiro stood out, probably because it had been done when his conscience was fully intact, and he had still been alive. He slipped in and closed the door quietly behind him, though took no steps further. His stomach was twisting in anxiety, and his hand stayed attached to the handle.

Ayumi was beginning to worry he wouldn't show up, and she'd have to search for him. Just as she was about to give up him coming for her call, the door slid open. It was... like he was still alive. But, it was horribly obvious to her at the same time that this boy she had grown so fond of died. She watched him as he came into the room, shutting the door behind him. His eyes seemed to be determined to stay astray, and he didn't seem willing to step closer. She swallowed thickly, feeling her eyes begin to burn with tears again. She was scared, but mostly she was now in pain. She knew from her occult studies that he was suffering from his death, and that he had some heavy attachments to the school that she had to break for him to be free. She took a couple steps closer to him. "Kishinuma...?" she questioned quietly, trying to her voice leveled. If she let herself start sobbing again, she'd lose her voice. "What happened that night... after I was knocked out?" she asked gently, taking another couple feet towards him.

Yoshiki was alert slightly as he heard her step closer, his eyes stealing quick glances at her. With her question, he took a step back to be right up against the door. His eyes were also still trying their best to avoid hers, and a small frown formed on his face. His brows furrowed slightly, his chest feeling tight again. "I don't... don't want you to know," he muttered fearfully, growing more nervous with each step she took closer. He didn't want to let down the first person who believed in him, or see her truly look at him with disgust and hatred.

Ayumi noticed with a frown that he had backed himself up against the door. She didn't want to corner him or freak him out, but she had to push, didn't she? It wasn't right to leave him like this. She didn't want to leave him like this. She cared about him too much. She took a few steps closer, and her heart beat wildly in her chest. She was scared to find out what happened after she was knocked out. "Yoshiki," she said firmly, the word feeling odd on her tongue. She had never used personal names with him, and she found herself regretting she didn't push herself into action sooner with such things. "Please, I need to know," she said, approaching a little more. She was halfway across the classroom at this point, inching closer to him.

Yoshiki glanced at her, a bit surprised to hear his first name, but it only hurt worse. He looked away again, shaking his head lightly. "No... You... you'll...," his voice trailed of as a small crack in his voice developed. _You'll... I don't want... you to hate me..._ The Ayumi who didn't remember him had looked at him with such hatred, but it wasn't the same as now. This time, it really was Ayumi, who knew him as a friend. He didn't want... her to see him so differently.

Ayumi's brow furrowed as she tilted her head slightly, taking another step. "I need to know," she said again, her voice firm in her decision to figure this entire thing out. She kept moving herself a little forward. After she had been knocked out, something awful must have happened. Awful enough to lock Yoshiki's spirit to this plane, when it should have passed. While it would mean for his entire self to disappear, she knew it was best this way. Appeasement was the only kind thing to pursue, since existence as a ghost was anything but enjoyable. She was a couple feet from him now, looking at him with concern.

Yoshiki was now even avoiding quick glances at her. He didn't want those shining eyes, that once saw him as a close friend who could make it to graduation, looking at him with disdain and disappointment. "No, you can't... can't know..," he persisted, though he at least wasn't running out of the room. He wanted to get out for the pressure building in his chest, but he didn't like leaving Ayumi on her own more.

Ayumi couldn't be frustrated at Yoshiki for his reluctance. It made her nervous to see what happened, but she kept telling herself to push through. She could do this for Yoshiki. "Yoshiki," she said again, reaching a hand out. Her hand moved to one of his, and she felt a jolt of surprise herself that the contact worked. Even if he appeared solid, she didn't know contact was something they would be capable of. It had to be her psychic blood or something. Not that that mattered right now. Her hand grasped his hand after the initial touch. She looked at him urgently. "Please, I want to help you," she said sincerely. She couldn't do that if she didn't figure out how to appease him.

Yoshiki was going to refuse again, but a jolt went through him at the touch. He... hadn't felt such contact... in what felt like forever. The warmth was so nice... His eyes slowly went up from their hands to meet her gaze. His hand hesitantly held hers back, though he still didn't necessarily want to tell her. The words caught in his throat, refusing to surface. _I don want you to know... You can't... can't hate me... You're all I have left..._


	12. Chapter 12

As Yoshiki brought his eyes up to meet Ayumi's, she felt a jolt travel through her bones. Her body suddenly went limp as she fell. She was no longer in the familiar class 2-9, but the dark and dank basement. Her body was limp, and Shiro was crouched eye to eye with her, or rather with Yoshiki. Ayumi had heard about this from her sister, who was a medium of some sort. She had played through memories of the dead, feeling their pain and the emotions that cycled through them before death. It was a powerful tool that psychics often had to be careful with. Feeling everything one did at death is enough to shatter a mind. She didn't back down from this. The emotions thrashing in Yoshiki were painfully palpable. He was furious because he thought she was dead. He was threatening to kill Shiro. It wasn't just empty words, though. He was furious enough that it felt like he could raise all of hell if he wished it.

Then, the knife began to dig into her. The pain was blinding, but Yoshiki's rage wouldn't be quieted. A thought of the pipe against her head, and he had built enough anger that he pushed past the pain to kick Shiro away. He navigated the knife Shiro dropped towards him and cut himself free. Ayumi felt a dread building in her gut at the scene unrolling. Yoshiki's entire being was being fueled by unadulterated rage. He was off the ground, tackling Shiro into the ground. The knife felt heavy, but so easy to use.

Ayumi had a hard time thinking past Yoshiki's anger, but she could feel a horrible fear travel down her spine as Yoshiki brought the knife down. Then he did it again. Again. Again. The knife dug into Shiro so many times that he looked more like a pile of organs than a human.

The killing sapped him of energy, the knife wound before reentering her awareness. He was trembling as he looked at blood that could be either his or Shiro's. In his last moments, she felt fear and shock. He was alone and scared, believing she had died from her hit. His eyes moved over to her, and she felt a certain desire of affection... But he didn't move towards her limp body. The wave of guilt to hit her made her stomach churn and bile catch in her throat. His breathing was awful, the pain overwhelming, pricking every ounce of her. He was losing strength and fell over to the side, with his strength vanishing quickly. He kept muttering sorry with a fading voice that made her heart ache that he had to feel this. His breathing was weakening and slowing as life slowly made its way out of his body. That feeling of desire was painful, the want to protect... her? It was hard to tell, from emotions, and maybe she was just assuming. It would fit what he had kept saying as a ghost. That he needed to protect her. The last sound she heard was the falling of his hand against the blood that puddled under him.

Ayumi snapped out of the illusion, sobs escaping her as the emotions hit her like a wave. It was overwhelming as she had just experienced Yoshiki's emotions and death, and now she was reacting. It was all too painful and cruel. He had deserved more! They should have never been put in a situation like that!

Yoshiki jumped slightly as Ayumi went limp, though he tried to be quick to react. His hand kept a hold of hers, and his her arm to keep her from falling. He was unsure of what had happened, but dread mixed with worry was filling his stomach. "Ayu... mi?" he asked slowly as she began to sob, seemingly out of her prior daze.

Ayumi choked back her sobs, fighting to regain composure. Her thoughts were racing as they tried to figure out what happened. At her name, she blinked tears away and took some sharp inhales. He had used her first name... it hurt that it took his death to get them there. She regathered where she was and realized Yoshiki had caught her. She sniffled slightly as she moved her one arm around him in a small hug. Her other hand gripped his hand tightly, trying to bring some comfort. "Yoshiki, I saw it... Your death, I saw it all," she tried to explain in a tight voice.

Yoshiki stood, paralyzed when her arm moved around him. It was nice... but what she said made him too ashamed to feel any happiness. His mind felt crushed with dread, though, he couldn't pull himself away from the warmth. "You... you did?" he asked slowly, though shortly after he began to tremble lightly. He leaned more onto her, his eyes squeezing shut to push back tears. "I-I'm... sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, and I did something... horrible... I'm sorry, so sorry... You hate me, don't you?" he questioned in a shaky, strained voice, his other hand going to grasp onto the back of her shirt.

Ayumi held him tightly, and her heart twisted painfully as she heard his shaky voice. She pulled her head back enough so she could look at him, even though she knew he probably was too scared and ashamed to meet hers. She slowly shook her head at his question, the very idea unfathomable. "Of course not, Yoshiki. It wasn't your fault," she said gently, watching him carefully. "What happened to us should never happen to anyone. You thought I was dead, and you were angry... He was an awful man who would kill either of us without blinking," she said sincerely as she kept a tight grip on him. He wasn't warm, but the presence he had was comforting.

Yoshiki shook his head, and even though she shifted, he wasn't opening his eyes. "That doesn't excuse me, though... I'm just as bad... You saw... You believed in me, and I failed you...," he told her, persistent in the one guilt his conscience held onto and let fester. There was no way she still viewed him the same... His trembling worsened slightly, though he kept majority of his emotions back, if he could help it.

Ayumi watched him with a small frown, feeling his body trembling against her. It was so hard to see Yoshiki this way, when he had always been strong and unyielding to the world. "You didn't fail me," she told him softly. She was stunned that he was terrified of what she thought of him, but when she traced back their relationship, it sort of made sense. "Yoshiki, I don't think any less of you for what happened," she said with sincerity in her voice. She really didn't, given how she felt what he had felt and knew the context around the situation. True, the thought of him driving the knife into Mr. Naito so many times twisted her stomach, but she didn't blame Yoshiki for that. She blamed Mr. Naito for everything.

Yoshiki open his eyes hesitantly, only confused by the lack of anger or disgust in her tone or eyes. He had spent all this time sure that she would despise him for all the blood he shed... How could it be that... her eyes didn't change at all, looking at him? "I don't... understand," he muttered, brows furrowing and a small frown forming, "How can you... still look at me the same?"

Ayumi gave a small smile as he managed to open his eyes. She was going to miss that gray shade when he disappeared. "Because, I know you," she said with no hesitation to her answer. "You are a good person, Yoshiki. I know what happened was you being pushed to the edge," she tried to explain, because he was looking at her with such confusion. Did he think she would blame him for what happened? Of course not, the only person she would let herself blame was Shiro. He was the one that had cut Yoshiki's life short, and frankly, a part of her was glad he was dead.

Yoshiki paused, his mind feeling a bit overwhelmed processing all this. He had spent so much time recalling that blood that coated him, and how much Ayumi hated violence and blood. It seemed impossible... that she'd still see him as a close friend. The fact that she knew him... made him think her seeing him do such a thing would make it worse. But she was stating... the total opposite. Because she knew him... it was easy to see he wouldn't have done it in any other circumstance? He hadn't thought that mattered... He did what he did... But with Ayumi forgiving him, and reacting in almost the opposite way he had dreaded... he could do nothing but accept that... he was being forgiven. That Ayumi viewed him no differently. It was weird, and he still wasn't sure if he understood, but he felt somewhat... lighter. "Really?... You... give me too much credit," he said with a small, sad-sounding chuckle. His speech became much more like it had when he had been alive.

Something painful and uplifting hit Ayumi's chest as his voice changed. There was a spark he had missed since his death, that made her realize she may have helped him. She leaned forward and hugged him tightly, since she knew her grip on him would only last so much longer. She gave a small breathless laugh, shaking her head at his comment. "You've earned my high opinion of you." It was funny, saying something like that before would've been so hard to muster not so long ago.

Yoshiki still couldn't shake the surprise of how close she was, but... he was thankful for it. His hand relinquished it's tight grip on her shirt to instead move his arm to be tighter around her. He'd like to feel his heart jump and the contact warm his body, but... there was nothing, except the comfort of her own warmth. "I don't know what I've done to do that...," he responded quietly. Though his voice was still a little solemn, since he still didn't want to leave her, he wore a small smile now.

Ayumi laid her head against his shoulder, the fear of what affection she showed and what it would mean to him was hard to register with the unforgettable fact that he was dead. He would be moving on very soon, and she found herself terrified for that moment, even if it was the best for him. "Heh... you're you. Hard-working, stubborn as all hell, and a good friend. I mean, I always felt... like you were watching out for me," she admitted with red cheeks. She never did get to finish her question to him, she realized. Perhaps it would be better to never bring up what was cut off by Shiro.

Yoshiki listened to her, still finding some traits a bit exaggerated, but... he often thought he wasn't that great. He glanced over in her direction, where he paused a moment before responding. "I guess I... tried to," he said, though he could never really show it. He had attempted to keep a watchful eye on her, but it turned out he was never able to protect her in the little while that he knew her.

Ayumi wished he would give himself more credit, but he must be taking some of what she was saying in. After all, he seemed to be in lighter spirits than he has been. She tugged back a little, her grip loosening as she readjusted herself to look at him. Tears were welling in her eyes, because she knew what would happen soon enough. "Thank you for that," she said, forcing herself to smile. She really did appreciate the eye out he had for her. In a lot of ways, she always felt most the world overlooked her, and when she had finally noticed his attention towards her, she had been happy. It had all been so brief, though. This was the bookend to their story, that had barely started. "I'm really... going to miss you," she said with strain. The tears were streaming more, to the point they affected her voice.

Yoshiki looked at her as she moved back, his chest tightening slightly at her tears. He wanted to escape the pain in his gut and wrists, but... somehow, it felt like tearing away from Ayumi would hurt worse. He pushed out a shaky sigh, to attempt to relieve the pressure building inside. "I... I'm going to miss you a lot, too...," he muttered, trying to force on a smile, and hold back the extreme emotions. He felt he had to be the strong one here, especially since she had helped him find some peace. If he started to break down, it'd just make this all worse and harder, anyways...

Ayumi was able to suppress her cry to just tears, the sobs being choked down deep in her lungs. This was absolutely awful. She had never thought she'd lose a friend at this age, especially like this. Dammit, she regretted keeping him late that night. Even if it was all Shiro's fault, she wondered what could have happened if she had chosen a different time to ask. "Haa... I, uh," she began to stumble. She wanted to ask him, even though she knew it would be a resounding 'no', even if he said yes. Still, it was... a door she needed to peer into. "I never got to finish my question from that night," she noted as she sniffled a bit. It was hard to get the words out, but time was a variable. She didn't want to regret anything else. "I had... been wondering," her grip tightened on him once again, "if maybe you'd like to go out sometime..."

Yoshiki looked down thoughtfully until her voice resurfaced. He wouldn't let himself go until all was said, so... he waited patiently for her to finish. His eyes widened slightly, almost forgetting that there had been a request floating in the air that time. When she had first been interrupted, he had been desperate to know, but he guessed the memory faded in light of everything else. His depression fell a little farther once the question was out, but... it was still nice to know. It still hurt that... they wouldn't get a chance to see what would happen between them. In fact, Ayumi would be moving on without him, and would marry some other guy... The pain was great in his chest, but that was what he ultimately wanted for her. He'd hate it worse if she didn't move on and make the most of her life. After a small pause, his hand squeezed hers, his smile growing slightly more solemn. "I... really wish we could...," he said, making it apparent his answer would've definitely been a 'yes'.

Ayumi watched him, worried the request may have been better to keep to herself. It was too late to try and pull it back, though. The solemn smile made her chest tighten. At his answer, her smile became more forced as a new flood of tears made their way out. She hated that this was the end, so much. She didn't know how things would've worked out between the two, but she knew Yoshiki deserved to live his life. Everything was so unfair, that Shiro was able to swipe all this out from under them. "I really wish too."

Yoshiki moved closer to hug her tightly again, his other hand never letting go of hers. He would've liked to know how this felt normally. His mind knew to enjoy it, but nothing otherwise gave him the euphoric feeling that surfaced even when Ayumi just accidentally brushed against his hand or something silly like that. It was a shame, and made him feel even more saddened, but he kept his smile. She was still amazingly warm, and he was glad that everything had been touched on. He didn't want anymore regrets to handle... He had nothing more to say really, though he found he was still reluctant to leave her. He guessed the very end would just be... goodbye. It felt off for this to be their end, but... it was inevitable.

Ayumi hugged him back as she tried to nestle against him, but it was hard to gain much comfort from it. He wasn't warm, after all. He would be disappearing from her arms in any moment, leaving her hugging thin air. She wanted to beg him to stay, but she knew enough to realize he hardly had the choice. Plus, a ghost trapped like this was never good... He had to be in pain, and she wanted him released from that. As he stayed in her arms a little longer, she decided quickly to use the small moment to its fullest extent. She moved her head back enough so she could lean up and press her lips against his.

Yoshiki remained quiet, savoring the moment to the best of his ability. They... may never see each other again, and that was extremely disheartening. He'd still... be happy for her, since he definitely didn't want her life to end short as his had. His eyes were drawn back to her when she shifted their position, his look turning a bit curious. He was shocked at her forward behavior with the kiss, but... he guessed since it was the true end of their relationship, it wasn't too strange. It didn't take long that he was returning the kiss enthusiastically, though it was mostly for Ayumi. With only his mind to savor and treasure this, he knew it wasn't as good as it would have been, but he was glad he was getting the chance to do it. After all, how many times had he dreamed of it? Probably too many...

While the kiss wasn't warm like Ayumi always imagined, the fact she could feel him return it made a flutter erupt in her chest. It was hard to let herself thoroughly enjoy the entire experience, though, knowing everything she did. He would be moving on any moment, and she wasn't sure if she would ever see him again. She had no clue what met a ghost after appeasement. She held the kiss as long as she could, but eventually her lungs began to burn. She tugged back a little, panting.

Yoshiki looked at her as she pulled away, but didn't move himself at all. He wished he could have felt the same, but he had no breath to hold. He glanced down quietly, holding her hand tightly for the last time. It felt so surreal... That seeing Ayumi again... was probably not possible. "I guess... that's it...," he muttered, wanting her to start off their goodbyes. He wanted to give her a chance, because he was half afraid that if he said it first, he'd disappear. Now that he thought about it... the complete uncertainty awaiting him was starting to be a bit scary. After all, no one knew what the after life really was.

Ayumi looked at him through foggy eyes. She let out a shaky breath, afraid of what was about to happen. She had lived so long without Yoshiki, but now that he had made that impression, she was going to feel lost. She forced a small smile onto her face. "I guess so..." she agreed, glancing aside for a moment. She looked at him, eyes tracing his features into her brain one last time. She couldn't stretch this out any longer, though. She couldn't think of anything else to say, so it was time to let him go. "Goodbye, Yoshiki," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Yoshiki watched her closely, her sadness feeling as if it magnified his. His smile was smaller now, but he tried to keep what he could. "Bye... Ayumi," he responded, though paused for a moment. He still hadn't technically said... He looked down again before closing his eyes, his forehead leaning against hers. "I love you...," he muttered, feeling any weights he had left disappear. He wouldn't say 'loved', because... he _still_ did, even if he couldn't prove it to her anymore. In a small instant, his body faded away, a small draft leaving the room.

Ayumi's eyes widened at the heavy confession. Agreeing to a date was one thing, but she hadn't realized that his feelings for her was so strong. It just made her heart clutch more painfully as the small wind pushed through the room. Yoshiki was gone. The smile she had forced on her face had disappeared along with him. Her hands fell back to her side and sobs erupted from her chest. This was a good thing, that Yoshiki had moved on. It wasn't good that he had died so soon, though. It wasn't good that they would never get to see each other again. He had deserved much more, but she was glad she could this for him. Who knows, maybe one day, somehow, they'd meet up again...


End file.
